Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight
by XD
Summary: Kenji slips from the dojo to what he thought was freedom, only to get entangled in a messy affair of arms and weaponry, of which a curious wanderer called Soujirou and his shadowy companion Enishi were also paying attention to...
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! Please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Prologue

  
"Kenji... I'm sorry..."

His mother never got angry. At least, never at him. She never screamed, or gave everybody on the scene a black eye - like so many people told him that she used to do.

"Please... don't go..."

Sometimes he wondered if he would have been more fond of his mother had she been the same person she was so many years ago. The fiesty master of the dojo everybody spoke of with respect and warmth. And a twinge of nostalgia.

"... this place makes me feel sick."

It wasn't that he didn't love his mother. It wasn't that he disliked the place he grew up in.

"Kenji..."

But every time he saw his mother cry. Every time she apologized for nothing with a glazed, faraway look in her eyes.

"... I don't belong here."

He knew. That he no longer was important. No longer wanted. No longer even needed.

"... no..."

Perhaps. He had never been, in the first place.

"Where do you think you're going, Kenji?!"

And when his surrogate brother got mad, he got all riled up. No longer would he be the cool swordsman master of the Kamiya Kasshin style, just standing at the sidelines dishing out commands. He would rise above you like a looming shadow of doom, waiting to lash out - waiting to strike.

"None of your business."

Yet, he never did.

"Kenji! KENJI!!"

"Shut up! I've had enough! I know what you're thinking! For the last time!

"I'm not my father's replacement!!"

  
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I wasn't sure what happened after that. The details were sketchy. All I remembered was that, as I ran, I kept thinking to myself.

Being my father's son was the worst thing that had ever happened to me.

Because nobody cared. And nobody bothered. Nobody saw me as myself.

All they ever saw,

was that I was my father's son.

  
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Kenji's eyes snapped open.

He sat up slowly, arms still folded across his chest, against the wall of the crumbling old hut behind him. It was still dark. So dark that he could hardly see the path before him. The rain, soft but steady, added a veil to the already hazy surroundings. And the pattering sound it made as it fell against the muddy ground cancelled out any noise anybody in the region would have made.

The hunched figure of Kenji remained as it was.

A hand removed itself from it's position across Kenji's chest and lowered itself so that it clasped against the brittle wood of the hut floor. Kenji squeezed it, eyes hooded. "That dream..." he whispered etheareally. "... again..."

He shifted again and rubbed against a splinter the wrong way, wincing in pain. As he nursed his wounds he examined his surroundings with a clear mind for the first time in a while, realizing that he had fallen asleep amid a heap of ruins - perhaps somewhere near Tokyo. The wooden walls of the hut were already decayed with age, and the rain washed over the hollow structure to paint it as sullen brown.

Kenji scoffed, struggling to sit upright. He did not know how far he had walked, nor did he care to know. All he did know, was that he felt free. Freer than he could ever have been back at the dojo. Freer than when he had that protective rooftop over his head.

And freer, definitely, even though he would have preferred that hot broth his mother would prepare for him during such turbulent weather over his so-called newfound freedom.

A bitterness rose from within him when he remembered the person he knew as his mother. Shaking his head, he fought off thoughts which had surged to the front of his mind, promising warmth with the people he had determined to stay away from. When he finally opened the eyes he had squeezed shut again, he sighed a sigh of relief mixed with frustration.

Because no matter how much he thought, he couldn't deny the fact that he was hungry. And boy, was he hungry.

Noticing for the first time the little creature of pristine white fur seated beside him, sharing the shelter, Kenji regarded the fox with lazy suspicion. In turn, the fox stared at him with its curious golden eyes, keeping its tail wrapped tightly around itself to prevent as much rain as possible from falling on it.

Thus Kenji wondered, not for the first time that night, how fox stew would taste like.

  
to be continued...  
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6/6/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

NOTES (just my personal opinions!):  
Based loosely on the Seisouhen (which, incidentally, I have not watched, nor intend to - I have merely heard allusions to it, sorry if I get some facts messed up!). Elements from the manga will reign later. The only thing I've kept from the Seisouhen is Kenshin's death. Although I don't really agree with the Seisouhen's method of death for Kenshin, I do believe that Kenshin would not have lived for _very_ long after having Kenji, based on Megumi's words when she discussed Kenshin's condition with Sanosuke in one of the volumes. She knew then that Kenshin had gone way past his limit, and anything might spark his eventual demise. Who am I to argue with the professional, right? ;D

About Kenji:  
He doesn't appear for long in the manga, and not much about his character is revealed. We do know, however, that he seems to prefer his mother and dislikes his father. That is not uncommon in many families. However when I pondered about Kenji in the Seisouhen, he appeared to be a rather bitter child. For good reason, too. His father had seemingly abandoned his family to serve 'the greater good out there'. And his mother, instead of protesting, had allowed his father to go. A child of that age would never really understand the reasons behind his parents' deeds. If anything, it would leave his morals in downright confusion.

If truly, Kenshin had died before being able to explain his travels to the young Kenji, then it would be no wonder that the boy became bitter. After all, ancient culture dictates that a son must play the father's role after the father goes, but a son who had lost respect for his father would most likely not do this well. Add to the fact that perhaps he was confused and indignant that his mother had allowed his father to go without a word of complaint, and then could not forget his father when he eventually did die.

I say it was only a normal reaction that Kenji would want to escape from it all.

But! Then again, as mentioned, all of the above are mere speculations I based the premise of this fic on. This fic will _not_ put Kenji in a bad light. I hope, though, that I can explore the darker sides of human actions and reactions without wallowing too deep into angst.

Cheers, and thanks for reading!


	2. 01: Enter Soujirou

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 1: Enter Soujirou

  
The day was comfortably warm when Kenji removed himself from the ruined hut in search for food. By some stroke of chance he actually had some money on him when he ran away from the dojo, so he was going to put it to good use. The fox he had seen the previous night was nowhere to be found when Kenji awoke from his restless slumber that morning, leaving him with slight doubts as to the real existence of the creature.

After all, it wasn't everyday you got to share a shelter with a silver fox, was it?

Mornings along the streets were a vibrant experience. Children ran alongside each other in loud, cheerful voices, discussing the latest game one person or another had recently created, without a care for anything in the world. Mothers gathered around roadside hawkers, who peddled their goods cheerfully, and fathers tagged along with detached interest, preferring to stare further down the lane where the larger shops were located.

And as Kenji wandered slowly along the dirtpath, he did not fail to notice that this was a scene he had never enjoyed before, when he was younger. He was always either alone in passage, or was too busy running an errand to notice how what was around him.

Despite being normally glum, Kenji found himself warming up to the surroundings.

He found a roadside snack store with relatively few people, and gravitated towards it in search for something to fill his hungry stomach with. After a tough session of elimination, he settled for a simple fare of fishballs, and brought his purchased food to the bench provided just outside the store, sitting down and sighing slightly. Directly opposite where he sat was a shophouse smithy. The sound of clanging metals and sight of billowing smoke caught his attention, as he marveled at the scene.

He had seen swords in the dojo before - but they were always only on display. Yahiko hadn't allowed him to touch them at all. Although Yahiko himself had a sword, Kenji hadn't seen the older boy use it much. Apparently it was a gift from his father to the boy, so it was possibly only around for sentimental's sake, and all that schmuck. Kenji scoffed internally and gulped a fishball down with a frown.

As he lowered the pick into his bag of fishballs, an abnormally loud sound from opposite him halted his actions. Glancing up from his food, he saw that he hadn't been the only one who noticed the sound. A small crowd gathered just outside the smithy's doors, peering into the pitch-dark entrance, trying to make out what had just happened.

They didn't have to wait long, however, for a burly man in gi and hakama waddled out arrogantly, a smirk on his face. He dragged a large sack of wares from behind him, which, by the sound they made, had to be quite a bit of metal ware. Just as he stepped clear of the smithy proper, another man - considerably scrawnier in build, rushed out with a metal rod in his hands, eyes glazed and form wheezing.

"Hold it!" The scrawnier man was saying, as he raised the rod in an attempt to strike the bigger man. He missed largely and stumbled onto the dirt instead, conjuring up a large cloud of dust.

The larger man said nothing, although the smirk remained on his face. He took one disdainful look at the man sprawled all over the floor and turned to walk away.

"Stop!" The scrawnier man took hold of the edge of the other's hakama and shouted. "Don't think you can run away after you come into my shop, hurt my workers and steal my wares-"

He was silenced quickly by a violent kick in his guts, and the blacksmith doubled over in pain, although he still clasped onto the rod in his hands with stubborn determination. He tried to breath, but was knocked over by yet another kick, this time aimed for his chest. By then a large crowd had gathered around the smithy and were pointing fingers and mumbling to one another.

Kenji's view was blocked soon after he heard the larger man saying in a scruffy voice, "Consider it your blessing that your things will be used for the greater good by the Yuugure!" The violet-eyed boy shrugged, and poked at another fishball, meaning to swallow it when the same large sound which had attracted his attention in the first place was heard again - this time louder and more intensive than the previous.

The boy glanced up just in time to see the residue smoke from the contraption the large man was holding slowly ascending into the air. There were several gasps from the crowd as many quickly fled the scene or took many steps backwards with horror visible on their faces. Whispers of 'a gaijin's weapon!' and 'it breathes fire!' rose among the chaos that was developing, and Kenji found himself getting a clearer view of what the man was holding.

Although he had not seen many of such weapons, the lean device the man held was definitely a gun. According to what he knew, it shot a small object out from the barrel when you squeezed the trigger that was connected with such great force that, should you have been standing in the way of it's passage, you would have been seriously wounded if the object, called a bullet, hit you in a non-vital spot, and fatally injured had it found a vital spot.

Just as Kenji decided it was time to high-tail out of danger zone, a flash of something large dived past his ear, straight into the stall behind him. It collided into the stall with an ear-splitting crash, and the low moan that followed it's collision alerted the young boy to the fact that this 'flash' was the very man who had been trying to resist the burglar just now. Said burglar stood, with one foot raised, apparently admiring his footwork, which had obviously been the cause of the blacksmith flying into the food store behind Kenji.

Another second later, the metal rod came clanging onto the ground before Kenji, its' owner having dispossessed it during the course of flying towards the food stall.

"That'll teach you lowlifes not to cross paths with the Yuugure!" The burly man snorted, pointing the gun in his hands at the crowd around him, succeeding in sending people running away screaming. His glance soon landed on the metal rod which had fallen on the ground before Kenji, however, and he stepped forward to retrieve it. "This shouldn't go to waste," he mumbled, still with a smirk on his face.

But as he bent down and reached for the rod, another hand got to it first. The burly man quickly rose and pinned the person who had the rod with a glare. After all, being fourteen and small didn't exactly fit the bill of looking intimidating enough to scare people off, did it?

Kenji tested the rod by tapping it lightly on his left palm several times, eventually lifting it vertically to prop it against his shoulder. He stared back at the increasingly angry man with oblivious eyes, a hand on his waist in a 'what-is-your-problem' kind of pose.

The man fumed for a while more, perhaps hoping that he could scare the young boy into handing the metal rod over. Kenji, however, was completely unaffected, and was about to move off from the scene entirely when the man shouted, "Give it back, brat!"

The litte red-head turned around to spare the man a sparse glance. "Give what?" He quirked an eyebrow in question.

The burly man held a hand out, "The metal rod! It's mine!"

Kenji eyed the man suspiciously. For a while he didn't speak, like it wasn't really worth his time. Then he simply stated lazily, "It isn't."

The man's blood vessel on his forehead literally burst, and his face flushed with anger. It appeared he seldom got 'no' for an answer. He gave an animalistic roar and spared no further words, taking hold onto the pistol in his hand and aiming the barrel at the young boy.

Immediately the people circling the duo began to clamour and gasp in horror. Kenji's eyes widened quickly, then narrowed instinctively. He saw the man about to pull the trigger; he knew the man was nearly an entire length taller than he was. The facts began to swim in his head, as the words of Yahiko flashed quickly past his mind.

/He would hold his sword loosely in his hand with the right side upwards, and support the blade with the other hand.

/With a strong jump he can reach opponents double, even triple his height. The point of aim is the neck - for obvious reasons. That way, the taller you are, the bigger you are, the easier you become to defeat./

In the eyes of Kenji, the man was but moving in slow motion. With deadly calm, he positioned the rod the way he knew his father used to when dealing with suchlike opponents.

/And he called this move, the Ryuushousen./

"Ryuu... -!!"

Before Kenji could begin executing the move he had heard and known to be a rising sword tackle, a whirl of blue wind knocked him off his feet. The dust it swept along in it's trail flew upwards and obscured the boy from seeing anything for a while. "What in the..." Kenji spat, peeking out from his arms that were shielding his face. He had made a very ungraceful fall onto the dirt and was currently feeling the pain on his backside. He was so going to get the person who bowled him over.

"Dangerous!" The clear, tenor voice of the blue whirlwind stood silouetted against the morning sun, raising high in the skies. "Very dangerous!" He had his back against Kenji, so the boy couldn't make out the features of his face. He could, however, see that the man sported a short ponytail, was dressed in tattered blues, and had a seasoned shinai held loosely in his right hand.

On his left hand, however, was the gun the larger man had previously been holding.

"You!" The burly man shouted, and attempted to point. He stopped when he realized that his hand was hurt and sore, and was in no condition to point. Still he glared at the other person, hatred in his eyes.

"You shouldn't be pointing dangerous objects at defenseless citizens!" The person spoke again, and Kenji could almost hear the laugh in his voice. Slowly, he picked himself up from the ground and dusted the dirt off his hakama and gi, eyes transfixed on the stranger in blue all the while. "What if you hurt somebody?" The stranger continued saying in his sing-song tone, which did nothing to placate the already furious man.

"You'll pay for that!" The man lunged at the stranger with the shinai, determined on hurting him. Kenji took a step backwards in fear of being caught in the struggle, but he hadn't had the need to worry at all. Nobody could really tell what happened next, for there was yet another blur of movements, and the next thing anybody knew, the bigger man was twitching away on the ground, face contorted with pain.

"You don't even deserve to be knocked unconscious from the pain..." An icy edge crept into the normally sunny voice of the stranger. Just at that point of time, police whistles begin to blow from further down the lane, and the people who had gathered quickly dispersed into doing their daily affairs, like the drama had never happened before. The stranger spun around and grinned at Kenji. "Hello! I hope you're not-"

The stranger gasped, the moment he laid his eyes on the younger boy. Kenji dare say he had never seen anyone look so shocked before in his entire life. But the stranger recovered quickly, and before Kenji knew it, he was being towed along the streets at an incredible speed. The policemen arrived at the scene of carnage and shouted at the duo, probably asking them to stop, hold it, come back, or something. Kenji groaned. It had not been a good day for him at all.

Eventually he was led into a narrow back alley, where there were more cats than humans, prowling the area for food. Kenji was nearly bent over with exhaustion from running too quickly, but the stranger in blue hardly seemed affected. He spun around to face Kenji again, looking solemn.

"?" Kenji could only raise an eyebrow in query. He was slowly regaining his breath, but still very wary of what the stranger wanted from him. He didn't notice the stranger step closer until he could see the stranger's palm in his face.

Just as he was about to take a reflex step backwards, the stranger's hand disappeared from his view and he felt something tug from his wrist. When he looked downwards, he saw that the packet of fishballs he had previously tied to his wrist was gone, and the stranger had it. Not only did he have it, he was eating it, and practically dumping everything in the packet down his mouth like it was cheap river water!

A flicker a silver caught the stranger's attention as he turned to look at the fox seated regally beside him. "Hello there!" He bent down and pat the surprisingly docile animal on his head. Even Kenji hadn't noticed the little animal with its' grinning face until his attention was drawn to it. "He's so adorable! Is he yours?"

"No."

"Ah. I see." The stranger was still smiling. "Here you go, you must be hungry!" The man threw the last fishball he had at the fox, who gulped it down gleefully and whined.

Kenji's jaw dropped and he held a hand out. He could not say anything, however, for there was obviously already no more food as the stranger threw the empty packet into a box along the alley, likewise filled with other unwanted junk.

"H-Hey!" Kenji found his protesting voice. "That was MY food!"

The stranger paused. "It was?" He wondered aloud. "It was!" He breathed in deeply like a revelation had struck him. The stranger then smiled nervously, "Ahahaha... I'm really sorry about that," he sheepishly put a hand on the back of his head, "you see, I wanted to see if you were all right, but the policemen are going to be such a bother, but then again your packet of food was very distracting too!" He turned slightly resigned as he continued, "Saitou-san doesn't pay us very well, as I'm sure you can see..."

Kenji did raise the rod he still had in his hand slightly, as if he wanted to attack the moron in front of him. But after some struggling with his internal self, he lowered his hand and shook his head, sighing. "Nevermind," he grumbled, "I'm all right, thanks for just now," he put a hand up, turning around, "bye."

"I'm Soujirou," the man called out from behind him, face plastered with a smile that didn't quite seem there, "Seta Soujirou. You?"

Turning back to look at Soujirou, Kenji was mostly surprised at the question. People had seldom asked for his name from since he could remember. Either his mother would introduce him, or Yahiko, or someone else would.

"Kenji," the boy muttered, almost in a whisper, "... Hi... Himura Kenji."

"Hmm... So Himura-san," Soujirou's eyes twinkled with interest, "what are you doing all alone by the streets at this time of the day?"

Kenji's heart palpitated. Before he could muster up a reply, however, someone else did it for him.

"It doesn't matter, Seta Soujirou," a neat, affluent looking gentleman stepped into the alley, with a band of sneering bandits in tow, "for both you and him will perish here in this alley today, for being a dog of the government and going against the Yuugure!"

  
... to be continued  
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3/7/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

Notes:  
I remember Watsuki-sensei mentioned that Kenji was able to know how to execute moves of the Hiten Mitsurugi just by hearing about it from other people. Please correct me if I am wrong so I can adjust my thinking, but the fic will remain as it is. Thank you! :D

The title was very helpfully provided by Joerg. Many thanks!


	3. 02: Enter Enishi

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 2: Enter Enishi

  
/Yuugure?/ Kenji looked back and forth between the smiling Soujirou and the boisterous crowd behind the other man. /Dog of the government?/

"Arara..." The blue-clad boy's smile grew even wider, "Jinguuji-san! I see they have not been able to detain you for what happened that last time! What a lot of people you brought today! Are we going to have a party?" Soujirou tilted his head slightly, still smiling.

The gentleman nearly faltered. He caught his tongue just before a wry remark let slip, however, and gestured for the person standing beside him to step forward. "I don't suppose you know the true purpose for my bringing so many men."

"I sure don't," Soujirou nodded.

Jinguuji smirked, and signalled for his men to do something. The person he had previously gestured forward quickly lit up a wick on the black, round ball he held in his hands. Before Kenji's mind registered that as an explosive, however, the man had already released the bomb from his hands and took many steps backwards as the people from behind him strode quickly to the front. They brandished large shields and formed an impenetrable wall. And the last thing Kenji saw just before the shield wall joined together, was a most evil grin from the person he had thought look gentlemanly.

A huge explosion rocked the alley inside out.

The billowing smoke from the debris and garbage the explosion had set on fire could be seen two streets away, where Chou was having his morning meal in. "Oh dear," the broomhead slurped the rest of his udon up, standing from his seat so he could have a better view, "it looks like the Yuugure fellows are up to something again." Directing his knowing glance at the white-haired man seated beside him, he continued, "I hope your partner wasn't caught in the fray."

Wordlessly, the other man rose to full height and departed the scene without glancing back.

"Hm," Chou's expression grew serious, "cold jerk. But," he glanced at the documents he had in his hands, "I do understand why Saitou wanted to use them."

He crumpled the paper into a pile and stashed it into wherever he always stashed stuff. Leaving his money for the food on the table, he left the roadside restaurant to the hearty cries of 'Please drop by again!'.

As the commotion grew rowdier and rowdier, the smoke in the affected alley began to subside at ground level. The men with the shields quickly dispersed so that they could check out the situation, and Jinguuji was the first to look around the charred pathway with disdain.

"Did we get him?" One of his subordinates asked nervously, the noise of the explosion probably still ringing in his ears. Jinguuji held a hand up to silence his band, seeming displeased about something.

It was no wonder, for not a moment after his action a larky voice chirped from behind his men.

"Jinguuji-san! What an explosive welcome that was!" Soujirou stood, unscathed and unalarmed, with little Kenji tucked comfortably under his arm, too shocked to feel real embarassment. Yes. Real men shouldn't be towed around by other men under their arms, should they? Thankfully for him, Soujirou released him soon after he had caught the opponent's attention, and he tumbled clumsily onto the floor. "I see you have gotten more violent weapons than before." The ice had crept back into Soujirou's tone again, even as his entire aura melted into that of cold consideration. He still, however, bore a smile, and Kenji decided that it was getting on his nerves how someone could smile so much. He got to his feet just as the Jinguuji guy began talking.

"You won't be so fortunate this time, Seta Soujirou! Men!" He hollered. "Attack! And make sure none of those two stay alive!"

"Hey, wait!" Kenji protested. "When did *I* become involved??!"

"Well Himura-san, I think you should start thinking of defending yourself now," Soujirou flashed past him slowly enough so he could see the dark-haired boy grin, "and ask questions later!"

Kenji watched as Soujirou slipped past the men with the shields at an insane speed. It didn't take a genius to deduce that he was going for the Jinguuji guy at the front. It also didn't take a genius, however, to realize that he had left all the other men behind for Kenji to deal with. They were angry, furious, frothing at the mouth, and basically like rabid dogs waiting to bite on the next victim. Kenji's faced remained composed, although he was screaming bloody murder at Soujirou internally.

He clutched tightly onto the metal rod in his hands, cold sweat rolling off his cheeks. Taking a quick glance around him, he saw that there were alot of debris lined up against the alley walls that were on fire, all the way further down the lane where he had been standing with Soujirou just prior to the explosion. It would have been a hazard for anybody to fight with such a large amount of people in such an environment, usually.

But for Kenji, it was an advantage.

He leapt nimbly over the large men and wove past them with practiced ease. Being small-built had its advantages sometimes. Managing to avoid the flail of attacks that were coming at him from both sides, he eventually broke through the wall of people and proceeded to run a long way clear of them.

A few seconds passed before he noticed a large stack of ruins littered over the dry grounds of the alleyway. He halted immediately and whipped around, rod in hand. Just as he had thought, the men with shields were chasing him. A quick glance side to side confirmed that he was in the desired position, and with a final steeling of his nerves, he charged towards his incoming pursuers.

He reached the first massive stack of burning garbage within a split second, and, without losing his momentum, spun and lifted the entire bulk with a swipe of the rod.

/The attack that comes after a spin, that is called a Ryuukansen./

The large, burning heap landed in the middle of the alley, and Kenji was before it in an instance.

/And when the weapon can't reach the opponent, use the ground to help you to. That is called the Doryuusen./

"Doryuusen!" Kenji found himself mouthing as he dug the rod into the ground before the burning debris, and lifted it up in it's entirely, ripping the hard chunks of dirt out as he did and sending soil, rubbish, and licking flames flying in all directions at his fast approaching opponents. They gawked and immediately raised their shields to prevent themselves from being rained on.

"Wrong move, pals!" The triumphant voice of Kenji sounded out from behind them, where he stood with yet another large pile of burning garbage. The men's eyes widened. "Doryuusen!" Kenji executed the move again and sent another shower of flames upon the men, who now had fire striking at them from both sides, as well as from above them.

It was, needless to say, not a pretty sight.

Jinguuji stood atop the tiled roof of a nearby hut, cursing under his breath as his men were taken out easily but the likes of a young boy not even half the height of some of the men. He immediately turned when the results became obvious, only to come face to face with the barrel of a revolver he was only all too familiar with.

Beyond the revolver was the dark face of Soujirou. Still with a smile. It faltered soon, however, as he said, "Going somewhere, Jinguuji-san?"

A click could be heard. It was the sound that the pistol was ready for firing. "You wouldn't..."

"I would, wouldn't I?" Soujirou laughed mirthlessly. "I'm just a dog, after all, am I not?"

"The... The Yuugure fears not death..." there was an obvious jitter to the man's tone now, "... especially if it is for the sake of the coming Twilight! Long live-"

He was rendered speechless quickly as Soujirou pressed the cold barrel of the gun hard on his forehead. "Goodbye, then!" He smiled, looking like he was very happy.

And pulled the trigger.

It was a loud gunshot which attracted the attention of Kenji once again. He broke concentration from surveying the damage he had dealt to the men just now to quickly see where the sound was coming from. Not far from where he stood was the silouette of Soujirou and Jinguuji, atop the roof of a hut. Soujirou had a hand outstretched, and Jinguuji was very, very still. Even as Kenji took off towards that direction, he could see the figure of Jinguuji slide motionlessly onto the roof, before tumbling down to the ground.

The boy stopped short of being squashed by the falling body. Jinguuji collapsed in a heap on the ground before his eyes and Kenji did nothing but afford him an emotionless stare. Soujirou then leapt down from the roof, his shinai carefully sheathed by the hems of his hakama.

"There are no bullets in the revolver," Soujirou smiled at Kenji when he caught his eye, tapping the pistol lightly against his shoulder, "but they do make very loud noises should you even just pull the trigger! What do you know, Jinguuji-san is scared of loud noises after all!" He laughed.

"You should have killed him," Kenji stated monotonously, earning for himself an almost ludicruous stare from the older person, "because the policemen are not going to be able to keep him reined for long. And when he's free again, you'll be in trouble. Again."

For a long time both Kenji and Soujirou stared at each other; Kenji, because Soujirou was staring at him, and Soujirou, as he tried to read underneath the unfathomable violet eyes of the young boy.

Eventually, the older Soujirou broke into a smile and carefully placed the pistol in his sleeves. "Well, Himura-san-"

Another by-now familiar sound cut him short. Crowds had began to filter into the entrance of the alley to find out what had happened, and with them, an entire entourage of policemen. Soujirou gave a small 'meep!' and, grabbing Kenji by his wrist, started to flee the scene yet again.

"It's those two again!" One policeman shrieked. "Somebody go after them! Don't let them get away!!"

"Nooo!!" Kenji tried to wrestle himself free from Soujirou's iron-grip; to no avail. "For the last time! I'm NOT involved! Let me go!!"

"Ahahaha," Soujirou laughed again, in his silly little sing-song way, "I'm so sorry Himura-san, but I think you are already involved now..."

The red-haired boy burst into a fit internally, although his expression didn't so much as change on his countenance. He sighed, and just followed as much as he was able to behind Soujirou. After all, the man was right. The people must already think he was involved, no matter how hard he would try to deny it. Might as well play along.

It wasn't like he had anything else to do, anyway.

After rounding the umpteenth corner in the maze of streets and houses, Kenji was beginning to wonder if they hadn't been actually running around in circles when he heard a soft 'thud!' and found Soujirou almost falling back into him. He looked upwards to see a white-haired man staring down at the both of them expressionlessly.

"Thought I'd find you here." The man had his attention on Soujirou. And Soujirou gave yet another sheepish grin. The scary looking man then looked in the direction of the smoke in the distance, where the explosion happened, and raised an eyebrow. "I hope you didn't get into too much trouble. The resident station wolf is going to bite your head off for- !!"

It was at this point of time that the man's eyes wandered and stopped on Kenji. And Kenji dare say that this was the expression which personified the phrase 'hit-in-the-gut-by-a-hundred-pound-dumbbell', nevermind dumbbells didn't exist in back then in Meiji Japan and nevermind there was no such phrase to begin with. All in all, this white-haired man was not just shocked. He was beyond shock. Kenji could literally see him turning into stone by the second.

When the shocked man did lift a finger to point, however, Soujirou smacked him squarely in the face with his shinai, turning around and smiling at Kenji, "His name is Himura Kenji. I saved him from one of the Yuugure, who was trying to level him with another one of their pistols."

Kenji twitched at the memory. He was pretty sure he could take the guy on without Soujirou's help, however, but said nothing of it. After all, you couldn't say anything to Soujirou when he was dazzling you with such a dazzling smile. He sighed.

"And this scary looking white-haired man over here," Soujirou continued smoothly, "is Yukishiro Enishi-san, my long-time partner-in-crime ever since we met that one bloody night in the forest of Kyoto fighting over the last piece of bear meat-"

It was Enishi's turn to bap Soujirou over the head with his hand. "The pistol?" He asked pointedly.

"Ahahaha..." Soujirou rubbed the bump on his head good-naturedly, before reaching into his sleeves to draw the revolver he had gotten from the burly man out, handing it over to his 'partner-in-crime'.

Kenji was sure he felt the blood drain from his face at the quirky exchange between the two men. He tried hard not to let it show, though, and was succeeding.

"Hm..." Enishi was saying, as he examined the pistol with expert ease, "... there's no doubt about it. This is one of the Yuugure goods all right." He flicked the empty bullet containers out, "Let me see the bullets."

"I have no doubt you will come to the same conclusion," Soujirou smiled, handing the bullets over.

"..." The white-haired man rubbed against the bullets, frowning slightly. He sniffed at the little objects and blinked. "Poison." He concluded. "Did anybody get shot with this?"

Before Soujirou could reply, Kenji spoke, "The blacksmith's assistant."

Enishi glanced briefly at the boy again, a glint of something intense visible in his eyes. "Okay," the man nodded curtly to acknowledge the reply. He then breathed out a heavy sigh. "Guess this means more updates for the broomhead and the resident station wolf, meaning I have to see their faces more times than I want to."

"Yukishiro-san," Soujirou's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, "Sawagejou-san and Saitou-san have names, you know?"

"Sure." Enishi chose to ignore the point behind the statement, and instead focusing on a fluff of silver on the ground beside Kenji. The silver fox lifted it's hind-leg and scratched its' ear in the most adorable way it could muster. "That your fox?" Enishi asked.

"No."

"What a pity," the man bent down to pat the fox on its head, "he definitely looks much cuter than you, at any rate."

"Oi oi..." Kenji's face was drawn back in a strained smile.

"In any case, we appear to have implicated you into this affair on more counts than one," Soujirou nodded at the boy at the same time Enishi straightened to begin walking out of the maze of houses, "come along with us. We'll try to fill you in as much as Saitou-san allows us to."

"What, no grabbing me and running off this time?" Kenji asked mockingly.

"Well," Soujirou grinned, then leaned closer to whisper softly, "I would love to, Himura-san, but Yukishiro-san loves to move at his own leisurely pace - and only he knows where the rendevous is, so..."

Kenji sighed, and moved so that he could catch up with Enishi before he disappeared around the corner. He knew it wouldn't be wise to travel alone now that the Yuugure, whatever a kind of organization it was, recognized him as the enemy. He slid the metal rod he still had in his hands between the loops of his hakama belt, feeling he might need it at another time. Soujirou walked briskly and fell into step behind him, smile in place.

"By the way," the older man was saying, "that was some powerful skills you used back there just now. Have you a teacher? What school do you practice under?"

Kenji did not reply. And Soujirou did not pursue. They walked slowly through isolated alleys all the way to their destination in mutual silence.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
3/7/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net


	4. 03: Enter Saitou

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

Thank you: Tanuki-dono, for pointing out to me that the canon Kenji lacked a bit in dimension. :D :D :D I so agree!! And, mina, if you love Kenji, please remember to read Tanuki-dono's fic! Now then, on to trying to give Kenji dimension! *insane laughter*

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 3: Enter Saitou

  
"Allowance. Reduction."

"No way!" Soujirou clasped his palms together and bowed his head. "Saitou-san! Have pity!! You've done that three times in two weeks already! One more and we won't be able to move from malnutrition!"

Saitou's reply was to blow a ring of deadly smoke into the environment.

"..." The pleading boy was still hopeful, "... please?"

The crab-head blew one last puff of smoke into the air, before flicking the cigarette onto the ground and squashing it with the heel of his foot. "Is there anything else about the Yuugure you have to tell me?"

"Saitou-san!" Soujirou cried exasperatedly.

At the same time, Enishi gave a muted, "No," while pointing to the curled up figure of Kenji leaning by the walls of the broken shrine they had agreed to meet up in, "but what about that thing over there."

Nonchalant about being called a 'thing', Kenji glanced up slightly from beneath his bangs at the other three people in his presence. He had tried to be very wary when it finally dawned on him that they were going to meet up with an officer. He didn't know if his family had reported his escapade to the police yet, but he wasn't taking any chances. The last thing he wanted to be doing was to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the dojo he had sworn to leave. But come to think of it, surely the network of the police was not so wide that a single report of a missing person could reach the ears of every officer within a single day?

"Thing?" Saitou queried, glancing in Kenji's direction - not really noticing Kenji, but noticing the fox beside him, who was busy preening itself. "That fox over there? Is it yours?" He looked momentarily at Kenji.

"No."

"I see," Saitou drew another cigarette from his pack, pining Kenji with a stern glance this time, "you both got him involved. You deal with the mess yourselves." He turned around and began walking away, waving an uncaring hand at the people behind him.

"Hey..." Enishi protested. "... This boy'll obstruct us if you don't take him in."

"He would, wouldn't he?" Saitou afforded one last glance at the trio, shrugging. "Then you'll just have to make him useful.

"The police station isn't a hub for dojo runaways."

Kenji's heart missed a beat. With wide eyes and slightly parted lips he stared at the departing form of Saitou Hajime. All of the scene around him dissolved into nothingness, and only one phrase bounced around in his mind.

/He knows./

Suddenly feeling an urge to want to remove himself as far away from this place as possible, the young Kenji stood from his crouched position and took a quick scan around the area for possible exits. As if he could sense the unease in the younger boy, Soujirou quietly walked up to where Kenji stood and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Thinking of going somewhere?" He smiled at Kenji, who was slightly taken aback.

Frowning, the young boy started walking away from the duo. "None of your business." He muttered, stopping just near the entrance of the broken shrine. He peered out cautiously, wondering if the Yuugure people were around and spying, waiting to pounce on him the moment he stepped into the open.

Noticing his insecurity, Soujirou tried again. "You might want to lie low for a while."

Kenji eyed him weirdly. "You're just hoping that I'll buy more food for you to steal, aren't you?"

"Ahahahahaha!" Soujirou scratched the back of his head. "Such strong perception!"

"Just let him go already," Enishi had settled in a dark corner comfortably among some logs left behind by the previous owner of the shrine, "do I have to remind you of how much you suck at being a baby-sitter?"

At this Soujirou's smile became considerably more contrived, though Kenji remained impossible to read. Still, it became invariably evident that Kenji was beginning to take note of Enishi's jibes, as he remarked, "You have something for calling me names, don't you?"

The white-haired man shrugged, drawing a long, silver sword from the sheath he had conveniently strapped to his back in the meantime, pretending to be maintaining it.

"Surely you are curious about the Yuugure, and why a couple of vagabonds like ourselves should be working under the mantle of the official police?" Soujirou found a comfortable spot on the ground and sat down as well. He gestured hopefully for Kenji to take another spot nearby where he sat, so they could be in the position for some random discussion, and was pleasantly surprised when Kenji took up the offer and plonked himself rather unceremoniously down on the spot which Soujirou had beckoned him to take.

Noticing Enishi half-glaring at him from the corner of his eyes, Kenji smirked. "I figured this would be a great way to get on your nerves," he drawled lazily at the spikey-haired man, who nearly bent his sword double at the insinuation. Soujirou smiled, though it was hard to decide if he was trying to be amiable or was just amused at the interaction. "Well?" Kenji then turned his calculating glance to the blue-clad wanderer. "Are you going to fill me in or not?"

"Let's see..." Soujirou turned slightly more serious, and the smile vanished momentarily from his face as he searched his brain for a good start to his narrative. "... I suppose you've heard of weapons of the gaijin, the foreigners?"

"Guns and bombs?" Kenji raised an eyebrow. "Heard lots about them, but haven't particularly seen any of it being put to practical use."

"Well I must say you came very close today," the dark-haired man commented carelessly, evidently alluding to the smithy affair, "anyway, this is the situation: there's been an organization secretly smuggling such weapons to into Japan. Their pretext is that they would appreciate some form of self-defence that doesn't require years of training. Underneath that, however, is a ploy as sinister as the hey-days of the Bakumatsu itself."

"A revolution." The fiery-maned boy concluded immediately.

Solemnly, Soujirou confirmed it with a nod. "That man who burglared the smithy in broad daylight was one of members of this organization, known as the Yuugure."

"How could you be so sure?" Kenji eyed the darker-haired person. "All he did was mouth the name of Yuugure, and brandish some sort of weapon he could have bought from some undesirable back alley."

"This gun," to the boy's surprise, it was Enishi who spoke next. He fingered the gun Soujirou had passed him casually and continued, saying, "is made of a special composition of metals that doesn't belong to any streak of foreign guns."

"Notice how the Yuugure man was trying to amass a great amount of metal just now?" Soujirou piped. "Doesn't take a genius to figure out whatever for, does it?"

Kenji's eyes had darkened to a deep purple by now. "They're making weapons." He said stiffly, brushing some wayward bangs out of his face. "Instead of procuring them."

"That much is obvious," Soujirou nodded again, leaning slightly backwards to bear his weight against a rustic pillar, "we have been on the trail of the Yuugure for days now. Just by a stroke of chance - or bad fortune for them, that today, they would send a man as boisterous as the man who was threatening you with the gun this morning to engage in the business of collecting metals. We were hoping he would lead us right into the lair, but of course, the little accident happened," Soujirou laughed nervously, "and-"

"It seems," Kenji interrupted, "precisely the opposite, in my point of view."

The light in Soujirou's eyes grew curious, and even Enishi had stopped looking over his sword to glance in the young boy's direction.

"Did it never occur to you that the organization known as the Yuugure," the boy was quick to dish out the cold facts he had already begun assembling in his mind, "have sent that man with the exact purpose of baiting the two meddling spies out, so that they can rid themselves of you once and for all time?"

The air tingled after Kenji's commentary.

"They don't seem like that stupid an organization to send so noisy a person out when things were at such a crucial stage, after all," Kenji further observed, the same time Enishi glanced out of the gapping shrine door with restrained horror evident in his pale features.

At the next moment the larger of the three had sheathed his sword, gathered his two companions in a clumsy but somewhat efficient method, and jumped clear of the large sphere of explosive heading in the way of the dilapidated former-shrine. The broken wood of the wall gave way easily to Enishi's tackle, just as the explosive burst into an unbearably white light, shocking the shrine into collapse and sounding out the echo of the monstrous affair for all who was near to hear it.

Kenji defected splinters which were flying out from the now roofless building, scrambling to his feet as quickly as he could. They were out in the slightly forested area which the shrine had resided in, and standing on the hardened dirt road - the only route which linked the timeless shrine to the main road outside, were two stoic fellows and a large mobile cannon.

"I see you have escaped us again," the shorter and leaner of the two held a regal looking fan against his pale chin and said, "I fail to see how simpleton wanderers like yourselves could escape the clutches of an organization like ourselves - but after this show of atheletic superiority, I am sure that we are not dealing with mere peasants here."

"Ahahaha," Soujirou, always one for a quick acquaintance, laughed in his most affable tone, complete with the hand-behind-the-head pose, "I think you think too highly of us, great sir!"

The man was not nearly as impressed as Kenji was exasperated. Beside him, his bulkier companion had already begun reloading the cannon and was adjusting it to aim towards the trio standing amidst the languishing greenary. "Speak up!" The kindly tone the man had previously taken dissolved into a nasty snarl. "Who else is among your band of vagabonds, and what is the reason you constantly try to pit yourselves against us?"

When the trio remained defiantly silent, the man's countenance contorted angrily. "Fire!" He half-screamed at his burly assistant, who fumbled around for the right trigger to pull. "Fire, and don't leave any of them alive!"

It didn't take too long for the next shot of explosive to reach the spot the threesome were standing at. Kenji's cold facade turned even colder, and he barely leapt clear of the dangerous object onto a sturdy tree branch. After gaining a firm foothold he glanced momentarily backwards before leaping onto another tree branch, further down the line of ancient trees, so that the incoming explosion wouldn't affect him too much.

An explosion eventually did occur, but it was nowhere near ground level. Even as Kenji leapt he saw the fireworks decking the lofty blue skies. The round sphere of doom exploded rather magnificently against the heavens and sent a steady stream of soot pouring on the area of the old shrine. The fiery-headed young boy rose to full height in awe of the sight, not noticing what was going on below him until a strangled choke turned his attention back to the scene.

The bigger man who was handling the cannon lay twitching on the floor, his hand around his neck as he gasped for air. Although a shinai was not the most lethal weapon in the world per se, Soujirou still held it stretched at full length against the neck of the leaner man, whose beads of cold sweat could be seen even by Kenji from where he stood among the trees.

"Not an inch, don't even think about it," Soujirou's smile had not lost it's brilliance at all.

"I think you underestimate simpletons," Enishi's voice could be heard next, as he fingered the hilt of his sword he had drawn in an instance. Kenji observed that he had yet to move a single step from where he originally stood, and was wondering about the reason when the nervous voice of the pursuer cut into his thoughts.

"Impossible!" The man was trembling, although he made a worthy attempt to act very brave. "How could anybody deflect a cannon bullet into the air just like that?!"

"Skill, practice, and a hell of a lot of good timing. And because I was a simpleton I didn't stop to think for once that the bomb would explode upon contact - which it didn't." Enishi shrugged the whole affair off like it was as common as sleep.

The man opened his mouth in an attempt to say something, but stopped short when he laid his eyes upon Enishi, who held his sword just over his shoulder. An instant fear seemed to grip the man, the same time a look of recognition flashed across his face. "You!!" He whispered harshly, jabbing a finger in Enishi's general direction.

Enishi continued to say nothing, although he did gaze thoughtfully at the fear-struck figure of the man. Then his gaze turned abruptly to the shadow lurking behind Soujirou, before he was found shouting, "Behind you!"

Quick to notice the urgency in his partner's voice, Soujirou saw that the looming shadow was poised and about to strike. He retrieved his shinai and was about to elbow the man who had just recovered from his neck injury when a flash of bright red obscured his view for a while.

When he spun around, there, in full sight was the large man who had attempted to knock Soujirou unconscious, and the considerably smaller Kenji, who buried one end of the metal rod he had picked into the right shoulder blade of the man.

The rod was lodged deep into the man's flesh - and although it had not drawn blood, Soujirou could hear the sickening crack of a bone breaking and a shoulder dislocating. Then the huge man thumped to the ground - truly unconscious this time.

"I'm just returning the favour," Kenji coolly eyed the slightly bewildered Soujirou, "for this morning."

"Well..." The older man tried to recover effectively from his stupor by going into his usual routine of laugh-and-tell, "... you sure have some fantastic jumping records!"

"He's gone," Enishi quietly remarked from where he still stood. In response both Kenji and Soujirou turned around to see that the man who had been under Soujirou's shinai previously was now scampering through the dirtpath, trying his best to get away. He threw furtive glances backwards, but did not stop for a moment in his escape. He turned a bend in the path, and Soujirou was just about to give chase when a blood-curling shriek halted him effectively in his approach.

The same man slowly backed into view of the trio again, his eyes locked on something that was in front of him. It was not long before a gleaming katana also came into view - and with it its' owner, the one and only Saitou Hajime.

"This is quite a catch," the officer commented emotionlessly, "so they've begun sending some of the higher security to thwart us." He pressed his blade more menacingly towards the frightened man. "I think we might be able to squeeze some fresh information from you just yet."

"Never!" The man was gesturing wildly now. "I will never betray the organization-!!"

Soujirou just about thwacked him clean over the head with his shinai, slight amusement visible in his eyes. "I think you should save that for the station," he addressed the unconscious man. Turning to Saitou, he continued, "Ah well, Saitou-san. That did not quite turn out as you planned, did it?"

The frowning officer chewed impatiently on the cigarette in his mouth, indicating that Soujirou had hit the nail on the spot. He turned around just as a few constables arrived to examine and take care of the aftermath. "This case draws closer to the heart of the Rengoku than I first thought," Kenji could not be sure who he was saying this to, but he saw that both Soujirou and Enishi stiffened slightly, "look carefully at that man yourself," were his final words before he departed as etheareally as he had arrived.

While Soujirou did not reveal anything through his practiced smile, Kenji could not help but note the look of raw recognition in Enishi's eyes, after he had a careful scrutiny of the man on the dirtpath.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
8/7/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net


	5. 04: Small Talk

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

a/n: /me huggles tanuki-dono. yes. how absolutely correct! YOU ARE ALL THAT MATTERS!! BUAHAHAHAHAH!! XD just kidding :3 but you /have/ been a great source of encouragement - as have all the readers. *huggles* :D This is a short chapter, but please enjoy it all the same!

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 4: Small Talk

  
"You mean it was planned all along," Kenji strolled alongside the afternoon road running parallel to a river. Soujirou walked next to him with his bright smile, while Enishi trailed very very far behind, looking entirely detached from the duo.

"Yes," Soujirou nodded cheerily, "just as you have said, it was not reasonable for the Yuugure to have sent someone so brash at such a crucial time, and we felt sure that there was definitely a spy following him to see if the police should slip and show their cards. Both sides were playing for big stakes."

The red-headed youth eyed Soujirou with a knowing look. "You know who that man is."

"Me?" The wanderer in blue pointed at himself with a look of genuine surprise on his face.

"Or should I say," Kenji broke eye contact from the older man and looked straight ahead coolly, "that it was Enishi who knew who that man was."

"Yukishiro-san?" Soujirou glanced backwards at the morose man. "You mean he knew those people from the Yuugure?"

"Not both of them, just the one who had that stupid looking fan," Kenji clarified. Stealing a glance backwards to make sure that Enishi was nowhere within hearing range, he lowered his voice in a conspirational tone, "You didn't see that glint of recognition in his eye after that Saitou guy mentioned the Rengoku, did you?"

Soujirou nearly jumped at the word 'Rengoku', and his little action did not escape Kenji's notice. Nevertheless, his smile was in place and he shook his head. "I'm afraid I was a little too out of myself at that time to notice anything around me."

"Really," Kenji was not particularly concerned, "what a pity. This Rengoku event seems singularly interesting as well. I wonder if anybody would have information about it."

"Why look there, Himura-san!" It was Soujirou, and his voice was a pitch higher due to a slight nerve strain. "It's that adorable little silver fox again!"

The redhead stopped instantly, and found that a bundle of silver fur also came to a halt beside him. He stared at the silver fox, who stared up at him. "Now look here," the boy crouched, not caring that he was in the middle of a public road, and not stopping to consider how silly a picture he was going to present himself as by talking to an animal, "you've been following us around for a while now. I have no food, absolutely NO food for you, so go away and stop bothering me, okay?"

The fox's reply was to use its hind leg to scratch the back of its ear.

Unsure as to whether he would stay close to Kenji out of loyalty or bolt from him due to embarassment, Soujirou allowed himself to smile and look silly. Behind the duo, Enishi was already skulking in the shadows, nowhere to be seen.

"Go! Shoo!" Kenji waved a hand at the indifferent fox, who stopped scratching its right ear and turned to the left one. As the creature leaned its head from side to side, Soujirou noticed the piece of white paper carefully camouflagued in its mouth.

"Himura-san," the wanderer pointed, "what is that?"

"Huh?" Kenji first glanced upwards at Soujirou, then down at the preening fox again. This time the fox stared at Kenji and made no extra movement. Clutched gently within its jaws was a crumpled piece of parchment, looking very much worn and used. The red-haired boy managed to pry the paper loose from the fox without much difficulties, and as soon as the creature let go, a shadow of mischief passed over its eyes and it scampered quickly over a nearby hedge, where it could be seen no longer.

Soujirou walked closer to the astonished boy, who was in the event of rising to full height. "That is certainly an extraordinary creature," the older person remarked. "What is in that sheet?" He asked, curiousity piqued.

Glancing at the parchment in his hands, Kenji carefully unfolded it. What greeted him was a drawing, a layout of some sort, with little markings decorating the edges. As both Kenji and Soujirou's eyes drifted downwards, the clear writing at the bottom gave them both a shock.

"Yuugure Headquarters," Soujirou's eyes widened as he whispered under his breath, "... Tokyo... it's from that man just now?"

The younger person brooded. "It doesn't look official." He offered.

"That doesn't come as a surprise," Enishi's almost disembodied voice cut into the conversation. A quick scrutiny of the surroundings saw that he had seated himself on one of the wooden chairs provided by a streetside hawker - who was currently closed for business. Enishi's expression betrayed nothing. He set lazy eyes upon the crowd busy in their own daily affairs - as if he was but a mere bum loafing on his job, resting for a while on public property.

Wordlessly, Soujirou took the seat next to him. There was, after all, only two sets of tables and chairs available, and he had a naggy feeling that Kenji wouldn't want to sit anywhere near Enishi. True to his gut feeling, Kenji drifted naturally onto the furthest set of chair one table away from the duo. He then pretended to be doodling on the parchment he had just received.

"What did you mean, it wasn't a surprise, Yukishiro-san?" Soujirou withdrew a skin decanter from within his sleeves and took a drink, his eyes never leaving the ongoing crowd.

Enishi kept his eyes veiled with a faraway look as well, as he replied, "I know that man. He's known to be slimy even among the secret societies. He acted as our translator for the Rengoku trade - but he didn't know that I could understand every single word they spoke. It probably explains why he was rather surprised to see me just now. The Shanghai mafia had most definitely written me off as dead in their records."

"How does translation qualify anybody as slime?" Kenji spoke softly, but clearly enough for the two others to be able to hear him. He was still intently examining the map, and his lips had hardly moved at all while he spoke.

"We found out," Enishi continued his narrative, leaning backwards to prop his elbows against the table, "that the very same man had been selling the mafia's secrets to the Tokyo police. He had taken very cunning efforts to conceal his tracks and by the time we caught up with him, he had seemingly vanished into thin air. No real harm was done, so we decided to write him off until a further time." He paused. "That was all I knew."

"If the Yuugure knew that this man was known as a double-crosser," Soujirou frowned slightly, "why did they still allow him to go on a head-on spar with us?"

Enishi shrugged. "Politics doesn't run in my blood."

"I can think of a few possibilities," Kenji quipped, still staring at the map, "assuming that this map was drawn by the man in question, then this Yuugure organization probably sent him to deal with you guys... well, to deal with /us/, because they foresaw no actual combat - since he DID bring a very, VERY big gun along. Assuming that the organization drew this map and planted it in him, then it would say a lot about them, since they knew that he had no chance against us, or that he would double-cross them. In any case, they foresaw that the map would fall into the hands of the enemy, who, if stupid enough, would try to locate the location of this 'headquarters' and foolishly go in, thus walking into an elaborate trap." He breathed.

For a while, there was nothing but the random noise of passers-by walking or chatting among themselves.

"That's... possible," Enishi attempted a proper reply.

"And yet again, this is only probable if and only if this map was from the fallen man's belongings," Kenji snorted, "you can't really trust a fox in this regard, you know."

"Is there a mark there signing off the map-maker as 'Daidouji'?"

Kenji stared. "Yes." He mumbled. "How did you-"

"Like I said, I know that man." Enishi put a hand on the table and stood. "Well, let's hope it's not too late to catch the crab-head in his hole."

"I have a better idea," the young redhead also stood, and this time he took no pains to try to hide the fact that he was talking with the white-haired man. "Let's go there ourselves and get our feet wet instead of involving the police this time."

Both Soujirou and Enishi gave him a look of incredulity.

"Whatever for?" Soujirou managed to eventually sputter.

Kenji shrugged to indicate that he did not really know either. "It just feels like the right thing to do. Look - if you tell that Saitou guy now he'll probably want to go as well, just to check the situation out, even if it seems like a trap. Knowing someone like him, though, he'll be likely to send a lackey out to test waters. And if things go wrong, that guy is going to lose his life. You wouldn't like that, would you?"

Stunned at Kenji's sharpness, Soujirou could only blink in response.

"Come on," Kenji then turned around and started walking down the road again, not giving either of the older men a chance for rebuttal, "I've been studying the map. I think I know where it is."

For a while, both Soujirou and Enishi watched the retreating figure of Kenji with blank expressions on their faces.

"I'm pretty glad the Battousai didn't have half his son's wits." Enishi mumbled, although the corner of his lips were in danger of being tugged into a smile. He fell into a slow walk, making sure he kept a distance between himeslf and the young redhead.

"Or lack of fellow feeling," was Soujirou's enigmatic reply. He stood rooted to the spot for a while more, before also hurrying towards his companions. Once he was beside the redhead, he spared the boy one last thoughtful glance, before fixing his smile in place and continuing towards where the boy would lead them.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
9/7/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net


	6. 05: The Ancient Shrine

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

A/N: Another slow-moving chapter! Thanks to all who took time to read the chapters - and especially all of you who took two more minutes to leave a critique in the box! m(_ _)m Thank you! Please also check out the appended author's notes!

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 5: The Ancient Shrine

  
On the outskirts of Tokyo, just prior to leaving the suburban, cemented houses completely into a world where the houses had thatched roofs and large rice fields, lay a grand shrine forgotten by time. Physically undisturbed by the turmoil of the era, the building loomed an impressive two storeys, its walls beaten and washed by the natural elements. Strong creepers surrounded the shrine from ground up, their fiery leaves giving an impression from afar that the shrine was slowly being consumed by thin tendrils of flames. A single, grassy path led to the large entrance. Arching over the path were pillars gilded with an ancient red, their tips pricked upwards towards the heavens as if in homage.

There was hardly a sound within a large distance around the temple that wasn't vaguely natural. There were the birds with their chirps, and the crickets with their croons. The buzzing of insect wings and the occasional call from a mammal living among the large trees which surrounded the shrine were the only other discernable sounds which hovered around the place in seeming protection.

It was to this scene that Kenji led his two reluctant friends.

"You know... I'm still not so sure about this..." Soujirou was twiddling his thumbs and looking from side to side. "... I'm sure no harm will be done if we informed Saitou-san first and /then/ come explore the place..."

Kenji gave the man a Stare, then blinked and started walking towards the shrine anyway. He succeeded in making Soujirou's countenance fall, as did his entire frame. Even Enishi didn't appear to notice him, the white-haired man passing by his companion with not a care in the world. They were like boy-scouts looking for a hard-earned adventure - nothing short of knocking them both out would throw them off their course. Resigning himself, Soujirou slowly trailed behind his friends, hoping that there were no big explosions this time for Saitou to slaughter their allowance once again.

The blue-clad wanderer was still musing about how he had come to a stage where he would be so concerned over money, that he didn't notice the duo in front of him stop short abruptly. Narrowing avoiding bumping into them, he paused in his step and peered at where they were looking.

Kenji was in a half kneel, examining the undisturbed grass in the immediate vicinity of the shrine. He separated a particular turf of long grass to reveal a stubbed cigarette butt. Picking it up, he took a whiff at the burnt edge and, semi-recoiling in disgust, tossed the infernal thing across his shoulder. "How people can enjoy breathing this thing in confounds me," he craned his neck to look around the area. Spotting nothing else that was of importance, the boy returned his attention to his companions.

"What did you find?" Soujirou asked plainly, his eyes betraying his keen interest.

"The stubbed cigarette butt, smelling like it was new," Kenji pointed at where the butt had landed.

"So?" The blue-clad wanderer was perplexed.

"So?" Kenji repeated, blinking. "So we're on the right track, of course! No cigarette butt thrown a few days ago would still smell so fresh - especially after the downpour yesterday night." Those words had yet to leave his mouth when he returned to trekking towards the ancient temple.

And then it was Soujirou's turn to blink.

"Spirited, aren't we," Enishi's monotonous voice said from behind him after a short silence.

Soujirou found enough time to afford Enishi a curt glance, as if challenging Enishi to answer the unspoken question; 'and-who-do-you-think-was-the-one-who-egged-the-boy-on,-hm?'. He sighed and said, "I think we would do better to follow him than stand here and gape like goldfish."

"Indeed," the white-haired man nodded his approval, but would not budge from his position behind Soujirou. Only after the Tenken began his slow walk towards Kenji did Enishi begin to move as well. They did not have a long distance to cover, for the redhead was seemingly enthralled by something which stood just at the entrance of the shrine, hidden from view by thick shrubbery.

They wandered up to the boy, and when they saw what it was that Kenji was staring at, they could not help but hold their breath as well.

On both sides of the temple doors, mounted upon large, weathered stones of marble and mixed clay, stood two regal and finely sculpted statues of sentinel foxes - destined to exist together with the shrine from its start to finish. Marks of age, however, were upon them, and their sharp, calculating eyes affixed firmly upon the singular path leading from the main route within had done nothing to help lessen the amount of man-made scars inflicted upon them. They still stood, however, watching over the shrine entrance - just as their sculptor must have had intended for them to.

Kenji lifted a hand to brush the back of the fox statue he was staring at gently, pushing some fallen leaves away to reveal a few holes still lodged with bullet shells. "Looks like they've been using the statues for target practice," he commented, "too bad these foxes' legs couldn't take them anywhere to save themselves."

"Or maybe," Soujirou, always optimistic, quipped, "we could view them as brave and loyal watch-foxes who will not abandon their duty even in the face of suffering?"

"Pah," was Kenji's non-commital reply. He departed from the stone statues and approached the pitch-black entrance of the shrine. Hopping onto one of the wooden planks in the makeshift stairway which led to the interior, he was slightly surprised to find that it didn't creak. All the better it didn't, for then the young boy scrambled quickly and gracefully up the stairs and ducked swiftly behind the door-frame of the temple.

He was almost immediately followed by his two companions, who sneaked up in the same manner he did - only with more ease and practice. Reasoning it to be because of their long association with the crab-headed policeman they called Saitou, Kenji ignored his awe at their skills and took a quick glance around.

The interior of the shrine matched its exterior well. It had been forsaken for some reason, and the previous decorations of the room were now strewn carelessly over the broken floor. Light, sliding paper doors mounted upon wood were slanted in descent, being unable to hold up as a door anymore. A large wallscroll of a mesmerizing sunset decorated the eastern wall from ceiling to floor, and a lonesome stairwell near the same corner led to an upper compartment. But otherwise, the large and spacious room was exceedingly barren of artifacts.

"That's strange," Soujirou straightened himself from his slight crouch, "this doesn't seem like a place that would be involved in weapons manufacturing."

Kenji peered around some more, his glance eventually settling on the large wallscroll. He approached the painting and considered it thoughtfully. "How much do you think this is worth?" He asked after a long silence, surprising Soujirou.

"How much?" Soujirou repeated the question densely. "... enough to feed us for a few months?"

"A few years," the boy corrected, pointing at the red insignia imprinted near the bottom right corner of the painting, "this painting used to don the walls of the Azuchi Castle Oda Nobunaga built nearly three hundred years ago. It's surprising to see such an old and valuable painting still so well maintained in a dilapidated hut like this." There was, however, no surprise in his tone. The young boy's lips curled up into a mischievious, fox-like grin. He carefully retrieved the metal rod that had been hanging on his belt all this time and held it outstretched, and from what Soujirou could see, the boy's intention to lift the parchment up from its lean against the wall was obvious.

Before the rod even touched paper, however, footsteps from the direction of the stairwell caused both Kenji and Soujirou's heads to spin in alarm. Their hearts only settled for a more bearable beat after they saw who it was who was walking down from it.

"Yukishiro-san..." his exasperated partner held a hand over his heart, "... what was that all about?"

"Just checking out the upper storey," he stated plainly. He paused in mid-step when his eyes fell on the duo in front of the painting. A minor frown graced his features, and wordlessly he retraced his steps backwards, poking his head into the second storey for a while, and then taking a step down to stare at the painting - or rather, at the wall - of the first storey. Twice he repeated his actions, until he was satisfied with his conclusion, whatever it proved to be.

The man strode downstairs to the questioning glances of his two companions. "This wall," he began, patting the wall which the painting hung, "is about three feet thicker than the wall upstairs - strange isn't it?"

"Three feet..." Soujirou gasped, the full import of the sentence driving into him furiously, "... that means that-!!"

"That's right," Kenji nodded, his hand still outstretched. "The space behind this 'thick' wall must lead to a secret chamber," he caught a side of the painting and lifted it up like a curtain, revealing a door almost seamlessly melded into the walls behind, "now look what we've got here!"

There was a hush.

"Wonderful," Enishi blandly complimented, "now mind telling us how to get that thing moving, detective?"

Now even Kenji seemed in want of ideas. Soujirou offered to hold the painting while the boy examined the wall closer. Except for the outline which indicated that a door to secret rooms was there, nothing else on the wall appeared to hold the key to opening it.

"How about giving it a push?" Soujirou finally spoke up, after Kenji had apparently finished inspecting the wall.

"A push?" Kenji raised an eyebrow at the notion.

"Yes," the blue-clad wanderer nodded with his happy smile, "like how we push those western doors when entering the room?"

Kenji's eyes began to cloud with suspicion, as if he didn't even think for a moment that a simple method like that could be the answer to the question he had been puzzling over for a while. "It can't be that simple," he pointed out.

"Then how about a kick?" The happy-go-lucky vagabond proposed again. "Kicks are more powerful, aren't they?"

"You know..." Kenji put a finger to his forehead in a long-suffering pose. "... I think what I meant was that you don't usually open doors to ultra secret chambers with something as simple as a mere push or kick-"

The boy was stopped short when Enishi strolled leisurely up to the door in the wall - and gave it a resounding kick.

And the door flipped open like Enishi had been turning a page.

The white-haired man smirked at the redhead. "Looks like you can." He mouthed.

Kenji could only gape in response.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
16/7/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N - Pt 2!  
Something about the 'Rengoku':  
The 'Rengoku' mentioned in this fic actually refers to the battleship Shishio purchased from Enishi's organization. :D

Re: Foxes, legends (Tanuki-dono)  
I did use some information from this page to derive inspiration for the fic. Hope it interests you as well! :D  
www . onmarkproductions . com / html / oinari . shtml  
(since ff:net doesn't allow URLs in fics, remember to remove spaces!) :D :D :D

Re: Silly Enishi (Shahrezad1, Ro-Chan)  
Enishi is biased against anything to do with Kenshin! That's why he didn't think Kenshin was smart. Buahahahah. XD But yes, he's silly. XD

Re: Will Kenji keep the fox?! (the inugirl)  
Well, if the fox wants to, I suppose... ??! XD

Re: Kenji's age (April-san *GIGANTIC HUGGLE!!* XD)  
He's fourteen. Which puts both Soujirou and Enishi in their THIRTIES!!! But owing to my lack of imagination, they both still looks like what they looked like the manga. Muahahahah.

Re: Soujirou's babysitting stint (April-san)  
Just some random weirdness on my part. :\ I'm sure Soujirou's done a lot of part-time jobs to support his bummin-I mean, wandering. What say you?! Tenken VS Obnoxious Brats?! The winner is obvious. ^_^x


	7. 06: Infiltration

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 6: Infiltration

  
Not much time was spent pondering about the sheer simplicity of their entrance, for after entering the dark and musty chamber which laid behind the door, the trio found a flight of stairs leading downwards - deep into the heart of the earth. There were fire torches burning away slowly on both sides of the walls, but peer as they would, none of them could make out what laid beyond the pitch-darkness of the tunnel.

Kenji knelt and examined the soft soil near the entrance of the underground. It had been freshly trodden on, and there were traces of oil and grease. Not finding anything else noteworthy, however, he rose to full height again and stared into the darkness, in deep thought.

Soujirou's eyes were bright despite the dusty surroundings, and they darted around inquisitively, as if expecting something to materialize from any corner at any time. Enishi was a cooler sight to behold, as he leant against the nearest wall and looked on with detached interest. Eventually, Kenji made a movement to indicate that he was going to proceed down the stairwell - only stopping when Soujirou's concerned voice reached his ears.

"Ano..." The blue-clad wanderer whispered as softly as it was possible, "... Himura-san?"

"What?" Kenji replied stuffily, jerking his head backwards to address his companion. "If we don't go down, we'll be stuck here all day, and we won't make any progress. If that should happen, then this whole trip would have been pointless."

"I understand that..." Soujirou began slowly, the warmth in his smile lowering a few degrees, "but don't we need a light to see what's going on down there at least?"

All three pairs of eyes turned to look at the torch attached to the walls of the stairwell, its flames burning with a soft glow - seemingly unconcerned with which masters they served. Kenji considered for a split second. No sooner had his train of thoughts ceased did he reach out for the torch to pull it out from it's holding place. He turned around and looked at his companions intensely, as if trying to find the right words to say. That moment passed soon enough, however, when Kenji blinked and looked away. "All right, let's go now," the boy's monotonous voice could be heard over the darkness he was slowly vanishing into.

Behind him, Soujirou refrained from chuckling, even as Enishi's lips turned upwards in a crooked smile.

  
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It was not a long walk. After descending the steps for about a minute or two, the trio arrived at a beaten corridor which went on and on into the darkness - except that this time it stretched across even ground instead of diving deeper into the earth. Flame torches continued to deck the walls on both sides, giving a dim glow to the underground chamber which would have a darkness difficult for the naked eye to penetrate otherwise.

Enishi's head had begun to turn around in all directions the moment he stepped foot on the corridor, and his actions did not escape the notice of his two companions. "What's wrong?" Soujirou was slightly bewildered. It was not always that he saw the white-haired man behaving like a squirrel looking for food.

In reply, the ex-mafia boss put a finger to his lips. He then walked forward, still trying to figure out whatever he was trying to figure out. As he strode, his hands casually brushed the walls. Kenji was seriously wondering if Enishi had gone off his rockers when the man in question stopped and pinned the wall on his left with a serious stare. He spared his companions a simple look - yet that was enough to get them to go near.

As soon as they were gathered around him, he spoke, "The smell of gunpowder is very strong behind this wall. They must have a store of sorts here."

"A store," Kenji repeated, pondering the significance of those words.

"So, shall we kick this door down as well?" Soujirou cheerfully pointed at the wall they were standing beside.

"..." Kenji was about to say how stupid it would be to have two doors operate in the same manner for a secret society organization, but thought the better of it.

And sure enough, the door opened with a kick.

Enishi blinked while lowering his leg. "They've gotten more moronic." He muttered under his breath, earning him an eyebrow raise from the young Himura. Nevertheless, the boy was aware that it was not the time to push the duo about his doubts. Mustering up enough wits and guts, he stuck the torch into the chamber to see what was in it.

Sensing nothing dangerous, the boy dove into the chamber whole. A quick inspection of his surroundings revealed an enormous amount of boxes and crates stacked one atop another, covered with sheets of dirty, brown cloth. The overwhelming smell of gunpowder forced Kenji to cough a few times to get rid of anything irritable he had just breathed in, and it was obvious enough what lay within the crates of the room.

"They're getting ready to ship these stuff out already," Enishi had flung a nearby cloth aside and was inspecting whatever apparatus was hidden inside. Soujirou was taking it upon himself to try to close the door Enishi had so violently kicked open. But since he was using his hands instead of his All-Powerful-Feet-of-Shukuchi, he was not making much progress. His exaggerated movements, however, was a rather comical sight to behold. Kenji stared at the dark-haired man in disbelief, wondering if he was doing it on purpose to ease the tension in the air.

Finally, the boy couldn't take it anymore. "So-Soujirou... I'll help you with that, so please stay away from the-"

It was like there was a flash, and the expression on Soujirou's face darkened visibly. He leapt backwards and gave the rotating door one strong kick on its hinges - slamming it positively shut. Again, Kenji gawked in disbelief. His suspicion that Soujirou had been pushing it with his hands earlier just to try to be funny was strengthened by leaps and bounds. Yet before he had a chance to vocalize his thoughts, the blue-clad man had grabbed him by his wrist and was rounding a large stack of crates so they could hide behind it. It was at this time that Kenji noticed Enishi, too, had disappeared.

Not a few moments later, the door could be heard opening again. Footsteps shuffled into the chamber. There was a pause, and then a man could be heard gasping.

"What the- who left the torch on the floor here?"

"The torch?" Another voice - younger and smoother, could be heard. Another pause. The younger man gasped as well. "Ah crap, you're right! Who left it here?"

Kenji winced, staring blankly at his empty hand, which he was using to grasp the torch. Somehow, in the event of being dragged around by Soujirou, his grip had loosened and the torch had dropped.

"W... Well, couldn't have been anyone but you and me, c-could it?" The older man's voice sounded like he was creeped out. "We're the only ones on duty tonight."

"Heck, yeah," the younger voice agreed. Stomping could be heard, and the small light the torch had provided slowly vanished into the darkness. "You'd think they would have arranged for more guards to oversee the place on the night before the goods get sent out." A burst of light was suddenly seen, just before a strong, pungent smell filled the chamber.

"Hey!" The other voice was saying, some shuffling indicating that he had moved to snatch something. "Don't smoke in here! You trying to get us both blown up?"

A chuckle. Some rustling of cloth and sounds of equipment rearrangement. "Oops, forgot all about that. Heh heh."

"Don't you 'heh heh' me! I hope you haven't forgotten how many lives you took because of that one accident with your cigarette butt and the uncovered explosive!"

There was a snarl next. "Don't you go all holier-than-thou with me! You haven't got a pretty history yourself, bozo! Buzz off! I'm trying to work here!"

A long silence followed. The duo who had arrived were obviously deeply engrossed in whatever work they were doing. Enishi appeared beside Soujirou soon after the stranger duo spoke their last bit, giving the dark-haired man a nasty shock - in which it took him all his self-control to keep himself from crying out.

It took Soujirou a few more moments to calm down, after which he asked in a tiny, bare voice, "What do we do now?"

"There's an exit from this room to other rooms," Kenji suggested, "unless the layout we got was nothing but a hoax."

"Well, we made it here with that map, didn't we?" Enishi shrugged.

"In that case-"

"You know..." Kenji was cut short by the younger man who had been working with the apparatus and silent until now, "... do you think it's true?"

"What?" The older man gruffly replied, although his voice was thin.

"That this shrine was built over a cemetary... and that we're now in that cemetary since we're underground and everything..."

A strange silence overtook the chamber, only broken when the older man chuckled nervously. "What are you talking about?" He struggled to keep his voice playful. "Next you're going to tell me the ghosts of the Bakumatsu are going to show up and slaughter us all, huh?"

The duo laughed.

"Speaking of people showing up, where's that woman who was supposed to mediate the trafficking deal? She was supposed to show up tonight, but I haven't caught a whiff of her at all."

"You know women - the more important the date is, the longer they'll take to show up!"

It was at this poignant moment in time, as the duo engaged in hearty laughter, that Kenji found the supposed exit to other rooms. Coincidentally the exit was hidden behind the tall stack of crates, and so was probably hardly used by anybody. Which was a good thing, considering that the trio was now to make their great escapade with this door.

"Hey, you go guard the stairs and wait for that woman or something. I'll go on with the stock take. This is gonna take all night..."

Those were the last statements they heard before they slipped through the door, out of the room where the two strangers were.

  
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They emerged unscathed, and rather well-adjusted to the dark, from behind the tapestry of a normal looking bunker with two beds and sparse furniture. Rough sketches of guns and machinery were littered about the room, some hung on the walls. Empty magazines lay abandoned across beds and the ground, the slight smell of gunpowder tainting the otherwise normal looking room.

Kenji dusted his clothes and sat down on one of the beds after moving some empty bullet shells away. "Well," he began calmly, fixing his stoic glance on his two companions, "it looks like we're stuck here until they move out of the place."

"It looks that way," Soujirou scratched his head and smiled.

Enishi merely shrugged. "Not like we have anything else to do. This sure beats having to report back to the station wolf."

"Yukishiro-san..." His partner smiled at him with the same long-suffering smile he used everytime Saitou was mentioned.

"You don't have to be grateful to him just because he didn't throw you into the gallows, Tenken," Enishi frowned, although he also smiled tersely at the same time, "or because he was 'kind' enough to give us something to do."

"I know," Soujirou's smile became sad, in the same instance Kenji perked up at the mention of Soujirou's familiar sounding nickname, "I just..."

There was a flapping sound, and a figure came crashing through the tapestry the trio had came through just now.

The buxom lady, evidently in her early-forties, stopped spinning from the impact and managed to steady herself, cursing and swearing in ways so creative, even Enishi was blinked with surprise. "Damn them! Damn them!" She eventually said something coherent. "Why can't they put the stupid entrance where normal people can walk through without having to tumble down a tunnel under some gigantic tree root?!" She glanced up from the piece of paper she was holding. "This had better be a good lot of weapons-"

Three pairs of eyes stared at the newcomer to the room.

"You're not from the Yuugure," the lady was quick to discern. Then, as the truth of the situation crept in, her eyes widened.

She screamed.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
28/7/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
Re: Megumi's words (Calger459)  
My humblest, humblest apologies if I got that part wrong. I made the terrible mistake of not digging my manga out to refer and instead, depending on my rusty memory... and seeing that it's been three years since I last touched the manga... ahahahahhaahah... I'm very very sorry... of course I didn't mean to say that Kenshin was inherently weak or that he would die young or anything! :O Thanks for the reminder, though! I also agree that it would be hard for Enishi to be rid of his psychomatic traits - I assure you, it's all still there, just minutely suppressed. XD I'm waiting for a chance to let it surface to greet the world again. :3 I personally assume that Kenji wouldn't have known much about Kenshin's past with the Shishio and Enishi saga, since if he had, I doubt he would as rebellious, and the whole point in this fic about Kenji's rebelliousness would become moot. XD XD XD Many thanks, though, for your invigorating comments. m(_ _)m

Re: The fox (Shahrezad1)  
Do exercise a bit more patience! :D The fox plays a small part in the outworking of the plot and is intrinsically linked to the shrines that are involved in the story. The fox sentinels are different from the fox who appears to be following Kenji around, though. :D And well... I actually prefer cats, but yeah, foxes are cute too. XD XD XD

Re: sasori!  
KYAAAA! XD I must admit that sasori's fic "Over the Sting" was what gave me the idea to partner Soujirou with Enishi. The thought never crossed my mind, although I already had ideas of Kenji meeting up with Soujirou. But writing about just two persons wasn't all that fun... then I read sasori's fic... and bingo! I got my third character! If someone has to teach Kenji how noble his father was, despite how bad Kenji thought he was, who better than Soujirou and Enishi, who both had their lives changed by The Man himself? :D

So yeah. Read sasori's fic. XD

Ah, but! THIS FIC IS NOT YAOI. *sweatdrop* I don't go for that, personally. ^_^x I do believe, however, that Soujirou and Enishi can form a very strong bond of friendship if they do meet up and go around wandering together. :D Because yeah, they balance each other out really well (we got The Happy and The Broody! The Ex-Mafia Boss and The Ex-Mafia-Boss-to-be-Secretary! oh, and blue and orange complements each other pretty well, buahahahah) and they are rather alike in some ways (yes! they're both psychos!!... subjectively speaking XD).

Oops, enough ranting for now. Thanks for reading the fic! *bows and zooms out*


	8. 07: Escapade

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 7: Escapade

  
The woman's scream came to a forced stop when Soujirou appeared behind her to knock her unconscious. However, the damage had been done, and distant shouting and footsteps could be heard from along the corridor.

"Dammit," Enishi pressed his ear against the door, "they're coming." His eyes instantly darted around the room, eventually landing on the small table beside the bed.

"Barricade the door or something," Kenji, on the other hand, remained amazingly calm. Behind him, Soujirou had settled the unconscious lady on the bed after clearing it. His bright eyes turned to look at his two companions.

"It won't be of much help, Himura-san," the man explained, "they're probably armed to the teeth. No barricade would be able to stop them from coming in here."

"Then what should we do?" The boy raised an eyebrow in query.

"No time to think about that now," Enishi gestured for the both of them from his position by the tapestry. When exactly he had gotten there Kenji could not begin to comprehend. "We'd better go back the same way we came."

No sooner had Enishi finished his words when a heavy thud was heard from the door. Enishi had previously moved several things to block the entrance, lodging them as deeply into the dry ground as his sword could muster. It didn't, however, take a genius to know that the light furniture would not be able to stand for long against the might of two late-night watchmen trying to find intruders. Quickly and quietly, the trio slipped under the tapestry. And not a moment too soon, for the second the last of them vanished into the wall, the door was violently shot and then kicked open by a tremendous force.

"What happened?" It was the younger man, dressed in a dirty gray gi, glancing around quickly at the room. His glance stopped at the bed, where the lady laid. "That's..."

"That's her!" The older man quickly interceded. He strode up to the immobile figure and briefly looked at her situation. "She's out cold. What happened just now?!" He demanded, looking at his younger companion.

"How in the world would I know, dumb-ass!" The person in question retorted. "I was with you all this while, in case you didn't notice!"

Silence.

"Well they couldn't have gone far," the older man frowned, checking his weapon to ensure that it was loaded with the right amount of ammunition, "let's go get 'em!"

  
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When the trio emerged back at the store they had come from, Soujirou immediately lurked within the shadows and listened to see if anybody had pursued via the same tunnel. Kenji stood nearby and fidgeted uncomfortably, while Enishi was scouting out at the main door of the room. He put an ear against the door and listened intently. As he concentrated, Soujirou joined his companions gathered near the door, having apparently come to a conclusion that they were not being followed via the secret route. He waited for a while more.

"Well?" Soujirou's eyes were glazed over with a solemn kind of inquisitivity as he invited his companion to voice his opinion.

"They're coming," Enishi removed his ear from the door and stepped backwards. "But it'll probably take them a while to get to this door. They seem to be checking each room out thoroughly."

"The only other exit leading us back to square one, we can only go out from this door if we ever want to leave this place..." Kenji mused.

There was a pause, before Soujirou spoke up again, "Can't we... try to leave and hope that they don't run very fast?"

"/You/ can," Enishi morosely pointed out, making Kenji wonder what he could possibly mean. "They have guns."

Soujirou's head distinctly jerked upwards before he could make a reply. The footsteps were getting progressively louder. "A distraction should do the trick," the young redhead offered.

Both Soujirou and Enishi stared at Kenji after he made the suggestion.

"Himura-san," Soujirou said, tone laced with such sombre graveness, Kenji would have been much less afraid if Enishi had giggled, "has anybody ever told you you have lovely red tresses?"

Normally, Kenji would have given anyone who dared make such an outrageous remark a good, well-aimed kick in the shins to make sure the idea never, ever crossed their minds again. But there was nothing normal in an unsmiling Soujirou. And there was something about the way he had said it which very happily made a shiver creep up Kenji's spine. He took an unknowing step backwards.

"Himura-san." Soujirou had his hand on Kenji's shoulder before he could protest or shrink back further. In his other hand, he brandished a thin and short looking metal stick with a sharp tip of sorts.

"Have you ever heard of the Hitokiri Battousai?"

The air stilled.

/'sides the fact that he's a sad excuse for a father if anybody's ever seen one? Well yes, I've heard of the Hitokiri Battousai. I even know who he is, surprise surprise./ Kenji almost scoffed his thoughts out loud. No matter how hard people, and his family in particular, tried to hide it from him - he knew and could discern that the red-haired assassin from the shadows of the era of turmoil was none other than the father he had tried but failed to respect. Penance for his sins, nothing. What was a man if he could save the world but couldn't even take care of his family?

Noticing the other two in the room staring at him and his abrupt silence, Kenji mouthed, "I don't know what you're talking about," to the slight disappointment of the man who had his shoulder in a hand-lock. Almost instantly, however, the insipid smile snapped back into Soujirou's face.

"Well, no matter!" His voice was cheerful. Too cheerful. "See, here's the plan. We're going to need a distraction to get out from this place, and I know just the thing. Remember our two night-guard friends talking about ghosts from the Bakumatsu?" He paused, watching Kenji's expression carefully. The boy's stoic face remained, as did Soujirou's happy smile, as the latter continued, "You, Himura-san, are the ghost."

It took all but three seconds for the fiery-haired youngling to choke on his thoughts and blubber, "I'm what?!"

"You see this pointy thing over here?" Soujirou continued seamlessly after Kenji's outburst. "It's what the foreigners call a 'pen'. It's very interesting! You can draw funny patterns on your skin and the marks will stay for a while! Perfect for a disguise, isn't it?" Then, in a more subdued voice, he whispered, "I stole a few from Saitou-san's office a few weeks ago."

Somehow, the logic behind Soujirou's reasoning about a good disguise flew over Kenji's head - as did his wonderful feat of managing to get anything out of Saitou's office without the latter noticing. "Your point being?" The boy icily demanded.

"My point being," Soujirou held his words back just as he gently grabbed hold of Kenji's hair with his left hand to restrain him and started to scribble something on the boy's left cheek, "that you'll make a great Hitokiri Battousai lookalike! You don't even have to do anything! Just stand there and be your own scary self! You already have the hair and the... um... height. Now all you need is the scar! Which!" The blue-clad wanderer rose to full height from having bent down to grafitti on Kenji's face. "You now have."

In the background, Kenji heard a rather loud crashing sound - an indication, he presumed, that Enishi had fallen over some crates. The boy himself was still rather dumbfounded at what had just happened. He stood gaping like a goldfish. Until Soujirou pressed a cold hilt into his right hand.

He glanced downwards, still reeling, although the facts were slowly but surely closing in on him. "You can borrow Yukishiro-san's sword!" The nonchalantly happy wanderer grinned. Scarily. Very scarily. In the next instance his hands were on Kenji's back, pushing him towards the exit. "Now go on, Himura-san! We're counting on you to scare them out of their skins!"

"WAIT!!" Kenji finally snapped out of his reverie. He started to struggle. "There's no way in hell I'm doing this!"

"Too bad, Himura-san, we aren't in hell," Soujirou shook his head. He continued pushing the unwilling boy nearer the exit. "Come on, Himura-san. It's either this or you dress up as a scary lady ghost. And I know that you know which is the wisest course of action!" In a softer voice, he whispered, "Just distract them enough until we can sneak out to throw something to disable them without having to fatally injure them. I'm counting on you, Himura-san!"

Those were the last words the young Kenji heard before the musty darkness of the corridor greeted him. He distinctly heard the door close beside him.

The first thing he was conscious of was the howling of the dirt-packed corridor. Then he could hear the cackling of the dim fire torches as they struggled to shed light on the musty pathway. He blinked at the looming darkness, still in a state of shock, vaguely aware of only one other thing.

He wasn't angry.

It didn't take him long to realize that he had just been compelled to, once again, take on the identity of his father without personally agreeing to it. At the same time he noticed that no bitter anger or malicious resentment arose from within his heart, as it usually would when he found himself unhappy at any sort of mention of his father or any one of his alter-egos. He took another quick look into the darkness, his senses coming to him this time.

Soujirou was right about the distraction. If this was what they truly needed to get away from this basement frothing with more trouble than they could handle, then he would just do what was asked of him.

They needed him to do this.

The boy slowly strode further into the tunnel, suddenly fully aware of the dangers he had been pushed into. The men he was facing were armed. He had himself experienced how deadly those guns could be and how quickly they could be triggered without him even knowing. As the facts assembled Kenji found himself obliged to curse Soujirou in his head. What was that smiley-face thinking, sending an inexperienced boy out to distract men with weapons of much higher calibre than his? Of course, he hadn't meant that Kenji had to fight the men, but still!

At this point of time Kenji's thoughts came to a standstill, for the dark forms of the guards were visible through the thick atmosphere of the underground. One appeared to be investigating a room and the other was standing outside, peeping in. Doubt quickly crept over Kenji when he noted the expressions of raw displeasure visible on the man's face.

Surely a dead assassin from the Bakumatsu couldn't do much to distract these men of modern times?

As if on cue, the man turned slightly and caught sight of little Kenji, barely in view through the bad lighting in the tunnel. Kenji was nonplussed to see recognition flash quickly over his opponent's face - emphasized when the gun he held in his hand slipped through his fingers and landed on the floor with a silent thud.

"Oh God!" The man managed to mouth. "It can't be!!"

A long, winding wind swept through the tunnel all of a sudden - picking Kenji's hair up in a wild toss and considerably chilling the chambers. The boy knew instantly this wind indicated that someone had opened one of the doors which led outside, and hoped very hard it was either Soujirou or Enishi who had done that, and not any more of these gun-dealers. When his thoughts returned to the scene, however, he saw that the man had sunk to his knees and was trembling like a leaf in autumn - no thanks to the sudden influx of cold, harsh wind. He could hear the other man approaching quickly from within the chamber.

"What's wrong?!" The other younger man came quickly into view as he stooped and tapped his companion on his shoulder. The older man tried hard to speak his case, pointing a shaky finger in Kenji's general direction.

"Th... The ghost of Ba... Bakumatsu..."

His friend quickly turned his head to look at where the other man had pointed. And then even he turned pale in the face at the sight of Kenji - his fiery mane of red locks, freshly marked cross scar and gleaming silver blade reflecting the light of the torches impeccably onto their faces.

*Never knew my old guy's secret identity could still inspire so much fear in people even after so long,* Kenji brooded morosely, holding the sword closer to himself, *well... might as well play along...* "You disturb the peace of those who rest here." The boy said aloud, hoping to make the two men before him draw their own conclusions. He still wasn't exactly sure how he was going to continue this farce, but as long as it kept them distracted, he would have to put up with it. He had not yet said another word when the younger man began laughing nervously.

"This is an apparition!" The man was saying between chokes. "You can't be real!" He began waving his gun around in wide circles. "I... I'll show you!!"

He made a mad dash for Kenji, thus not noticing Soujirou emerging from behind in the darkness to knock his trembling companion out until he felt a sharp pain nick at his right hand, forcing him to drop the gun in his hand while he swerved instinctively to one side, hitting the wall and breaking off a few pieces of caked mud.

Kenji tensed slightly when the man collapsed into a half kneel barely inches away from him. When he noticed that his gun was not with him, however, he relaxed. Glancing over at the blue-clad wanderer, who had just finished checking on the other man, Kenji almost grinned. "How'd you knock his weapon out like that?"

The older person smiled and waved his hand in front of his face, "Pens have a lot more use than just drawing cross-scars on your face, Himura-san. Especially since they're pointy and-" Soujirou paused suddenly, eyes widened in absolute horror. "Himura-san!!"

It didn't take Kenji long to find out why he was shouting like that. The man previously crouched before him now glared up disdainfully with murder in his eyes. In his right hand, in place of his gun, was a carefully concealed but equally deadly wakizashi short sword - waiting to taste blood.

Kenji cursed himself internally for being careless, even as he futilely willed his hands into bringing the sword into a defensive style. The large metallic blade was far too bulky for someone who was used to wooden swords, and Enishi's modified Chinese hilt only made the thing more difficult to wield. As mundane questions like 'who in the right frame of mind modifies a katana hilt like that?!' briefly passed through his mind, Kenji squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the blow.

That never came.

A loud cough caught Kenji's attention upon him opening his eyes, even as his lowered vision caught sight of gathering pools of blood - not his - spattered carelessly on the ground before him. Slowly he lifted his head, taking in the blue before him. Blue tainted with red - a single silvery blade trembling slightly from being buried in soft flesh - again, not his - aglow in soft, orange light.

Kenji could feel his mouth becoming dry.

Did Soujirou just take the sword blow for him?

... for someone like him...

With what must have been the last of his strength, Soujirou grasped onto the hilt of the wakizashi embedded into his side, using the element of surprise to quickly claim the blade from its original owner and pulling it out before it dealt further damage to his constitution. He then used it to swipe carelessly at the man before him, succeeding in getting him to retreat a few steps back unwillingly, before flinging the sword to a side where it then lodged itself firmly into the wall, disconnecting the torch there from its holder. That was followed by two well-aimed sharp-tipped pens in the man's direction. With a cry of pain which indicated that the pens found their targets, Kenji could make out the limping and retreating form of the previously murderous man.

The astray torch suddenly got a life of its own. The wild flames slowly crept across the combustive floor, tainting the chamber with it's laughing blaze.

Soujirou gave a loud groan and promptly rocked off his feet, backwards, into the dumbfounded Kenji's outstretched hands.

"That..." The wanderer was gasping to say, "... That wasn't so hard... was it? Himura-san..."

All Kenji noticed was how the stain on Soujirou's left abdomen was rapidly growing in circumference.

"Soujirou..." The boy raspily whispered, eyes wide with shock. He shook the older person's shoulders gently. "... what the hell was that for?!"

The weak breathing of Soujirou told Kenji the man was still alive. Although for how long, it would be hard to tell. Yet the only answer the boy got for his question was the cackle of the flames as it spread itself in all directions across the tunnel, intent on claiming it whole. Kenji's breathing accelerated. He looked into the pitch-darkness of the dirt-caked hallway before him.

And suddenly, he felt terrified.

He had seen death, heard death, and even come close to what he thought was death once or twice. Never had he been minutely afraid. Never had he been remotely concerned.

But he was so shaken now he could barely move.

"Soujirou..." Kenji gritted his teeth, hair hiding his face from general view, "... get up... Come on... We'll be trapped in the fire..." He continued to shake the unresponsive Soujirou, who lay at his feet unmovingly. He had already tried getting up himself to drag his companion out, but his legs were not listening to him. The fire continued to lick at the fringes of their location - engaging in a dangerous game of hit-and-run with the two immobile swordsmen. "Soujirou!!" Kenji raised his voice, hoping that would catch the older person's attention, emotions in complete disarray.

He didn't usually cared if someone died - it never bothered him as far as he was concerned. But there was something strange welling up from within him as he held the limp form of the smiling wanderer he had gotten to known just that very day. Something inside was screaming at him to drag Soujirou and himself to safety even if it was going to cost him his life. He could not link what he felt to any emotion he was consciously aware of. But he did know, and was very sure, that he'd be damned if he didn't drag their sorry asses out of the chamber before it combusted into a roaring inferno.

He was not going to let Soujirou die.

Something wet glazed over his eyes in his desperation and Kenji quickly wiped at it roughly with his sleeve.

"ENISHI!!" He cried, using the sudden bout of courage he had to attempt to stand up. "ENISHI! WHERE ARE YOU??!" He succeeded to an extent, and moved Soujirou about two steps backwards, away from the slowly raging fire, before collapsing onto the ground again. He gritted his teeth. "ENI-"

A large object shot past Kenji's head and landed in the heart of the emerging fire. When it landed, one of its sides tore and Kenji could see a steady trickle of sand pouring out of the bundle, effectively snuffing out a portion of the ongoing flames. It was a lot of sand packed inside a makeshift paper bag which coincidentally bore the picture of a familiar looking sunset on it.

It took Kenji a few dazed seconds to realize that it was the tapestry they had encountered on their entrance, by which time a hand suddenly reached over his destitue shoulder. Kenji whipped around in anticipation of the worst - relieved when he found that it was just Enishi. The silent white-haired man merely took a cursory glance at the redhead before hauling Soujirou's hand - the one on the uninjured side - over his shoulders, lifting the prostrate wanderer from the ground. He walked, hardly managing to get two steps in before something tugged at him to stop.

Glancing backwards, he saw that Soujirou had stretched his other free hand to grab hold of Kenji.

"Come on, Himura-san," Kenji could hear that Soujirou was struggling to sound normal, "don't just sit there and marvel. Let's get out of here."

Behind them, the chamber continued to burn - relentless flames slowly crawling towards the doors where the massive cargo of weapons were being stored.

The slowly disappearing painting of the sunset became the only thing seemingly seeing the three retreating figures off.

  
... to be continued  
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13/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N:  
I made the terrible mistake of rewatching the Kyoto arc in the DEAD MIDDLE of writing this chapter. Now all action seems contrived compared to the sheer intensity of Kyoto!!! Must... improve...

*glomps all readers and reviewers* Doesn't look like I can say anything other than a big THANK YOU for reading! *bows humbly* Especially Shahrezad1, haku baikou, April-san, CurlsofSerenity, Silver Nightingale, Ayashi1 and Espi!


	9. 08: In His Shadows

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 8: In His Shadows

  
Enishi was very quiet.

Kenji sneaked a quick glance at the man as he half-dragged, half-carried the prone Soujirou up the stairs of the shrine. Somewhere during their trip down into the tunnels the heavens had opened up and it was now raining cats and dogs outside, so the choice of leaving the temple for somewhere else was eliminated in an instance, seeing how Soujirou was not quite ready to travel in the rain. Sitting in some corner of the first storey would render them sitting ducks since there may be other of the Yuugure skulking around the region. Thus their only other choice was to vanish into the darkness upstairs and hope very hard that no one, should there be any, paid extra heed to the unassuming chamber.

So that was how they ended up on the second storey. And Enishi remained very quiet.

To his credit, Enishi had always been quiet. He didn't usually speak his mind, except when trying to jibe or offer some probing suggestions or questions, and generally preferred to smirk and act callous - not that Kenji didn't appreciate why.

Everybody had issues they'd prefer not to let surface, hadn't they?

But this time, the redhead was unable to bear the painful quietness of it all. Without asking for any help, the white-haired man leaned Soujirou against a corner wall as gently as he could, then proceeded to examine the wound. Much of Soujirou's bloodied gi had been torn by sheer impact and his wounded flesh was in plain view. The small, squarish windows above in the walls shed moonlight into the room - not quite a lot, but enough for Enishi to come to a conclusion about the severity of Soujirou's injuries.

He loosened the blue shawl on his shoulders and folded it quickly into a stripe of makeshift bandage. Kenji could only watch wordlessly as Enishi proceeded to carelessly attempt to wrap the younger wanderer's wounds up. Raising an eyebrow at the haphazard way he was doing it, his questioning aura did not escape Enishi's notice. "I'm just stopping the blood first," he quietly stated, making Kenji jump slightly. He had not expected Enishi to speak at all. The white-haired man then turned so that Kenji could not read his countenance. "We can think of the more elegant ways of solving this after we get out of the hot zone."

Kenji was literally awed at how Enishi monotonously said what he just said as if he had been reporting yesterday's weather. "You just don't like humans in generally, do you?" The boy could not resist asking. Although his words may have sounded like a jest, his tone was in all sombriety. It evoked a strange look from Enishi for reaction. But the man said nothing, his strange quietude finally beginning to irk the boy. "Let me help," Kenji blurted, half afraid that Enishi was going to smirk and make fun of him at the desperation in his tone, "I'm sure I can do something."

"..." Enishi, however, did not immediately respond, choosing to dust at a certain portion of floor. "If you really want to do something so badly," he began, not looking at the young boy in his eyes, "then get out of here and back to Tokyo and tell that evil crabhead what happened."

In the following moments it was Kenji who seemingly inherited the strange silence from Enishi. While the older person worked to gently lay the suffering Soujirou across the area he had just dusted, Kenji's train of thought entered bullet speed. He had just offered to help. Enishi had just told him what to do. Of course, Enishi had to point him down the path of a /police officer/. A police officer who KNEW who he was and would probably have no qualms about sending him back home trussed up like a turkey if he even said anything that sounded minutely displeasing to him. He didn't want to do this. He didn't have to do it at all.

"What," Enishi's normal tone of evil mischief began to slowly creep back into his speech, "are you afraid of that crabhead?"

The boy stiffened, glaring with all his worth at the back of Enishi. The latter had descended into a kneel and currently held a hand over Soujirou's forehead, the other hand on his own. With Enishi's back against him, Kenji found him hard to read. Not that Enishi had been very readable to begin with. When his attention shifted from Enishi's cold form to Soujirou's limp body, however, a new flush of motivation set in.

He rose from his seated position on the ground and stood, hovering over his two other companions momentarily. Eventually he turned. "I'll be back soon," he muttered softly. A few more footsteps later, the young Kenji was descending the stairs, on his way to fulfill his mission - leaving the upper chamber of the desolate shrine once again in blissful silence.

The downpour continued, a few brave droplets diving as hard as they could against the window sill of the shrine, giving the rain a comfortable melody as it dribbled on from the heavens.

After what seemed like a long, tedious pause, Enishi breathed audibly.

"You," he began, tone even, "blithering moron."

The room was too dark for him to observe what Soujirou's countenance reflected.

"Don't think I don't know you're awake," Enishi probed further, a growl in tow. The strange silence continued until he could hear Soujirou's chuckle through the limp night air.

"Looks like I can't fool you," Soujirou made an effort to sit up, bearing with the excruciating pain on his side. Halfway to fully sitting erect, however, he was pinned by a glare from Enishi.

"Stay down," the white-haired man commanded fiercely, "I'm not done with you yet."

Soujirou meekly obeyed.

The rhythmic beating of the rain began to slowly wedge Soujirou's consciousness away. He sighed and closed his eyes, wondering what Enishi was going to do now that he seemed really mad. What he hadn't expect, however, was to feel a warm piece of fabric being thrown over his upper body. Instinctively clutching it, Soujirou opened his eyes to find Enishi's orange jacket settled over himself. He blinked. "Yukishiro-san?" The younger person turned to stare questioningly at the other, who had by then propped himself against a wall. The stern glare Soujirou got in response, however, told him that if he wanted to die quick and painlessly, then he had better keep all questions to himself. "Thank you!" He squeaked miserably, feeling much the same way.

After another bout of uncomfortable silence, Soujirou quipped, "You let him run off with your sword."

In answer, Enishi grunted something inaudible from where he sat. Eventually he said in a louder voice, "It's just a sword."

"But what if someone finds us?"

Enishi lazily waved a fist. "I don't just know swordsplay."

As he half giggled, Soujirou decided that even the moonlight was proving far too glaring and threw an arm over his eyes, sighing. The pain made him groggy. He marveled at how he could still carry out some semblance of an intelligent conversation with Enishi in his current state of mind. "It doesn't hurt as much now, Yukishiro-san," he mumbled, "thank you."

There was the sound of shuffling from Enishi's general direction. "You told me to leave everything to you," the white-haired man monotonously regurgitated facts, "'Don't worry about it Yukishiro-san,' he says, 'I'll be all right,' he says, 'Wait for us at the entrance!,' he says. And then what happens? I had to go back down to drag both your sorry behinds out." Soujirou could hear the plain anger leaking through his partner's self-restraint, and was glad he had a hand over his eyes so he didn't have to look into Enishi's. There was just one small thing about men who were generally quiet. When something eventually manages to grate on their nerves, it literally grates all the gears out. Showing no sign of stopping anytime soon, Enishi continued, "Tell me the Battousai's alive - it would've been more believable. Tell me that crabhead's decided to quit smoking - I would have more reason to trust in it. Tell me the sea's evaporated! Hell /that/ would have been easier to swallow-" the man stopped short suddenly and took a huge breath, realizing that his voice was raising.

The silence had settled over once again before Enishi's serious question punctured the atmosphere. "Why did you do that for?"

For a brief moment, Soujirou pondered the possibilites of playing dumb with Enishi and getting away with it. He knew distinctly that Enishi would not believe whatever story or excuse he had ready in the back of his mind. He himself knew that escaping from a wakizashi strike - even at point blank - was no big deal for him. Yet he was not entirely in the mood to discuss the pros and cons of being a human shield right at that point in time. The sword hadn't run through any vital spots, but it still hurt like crazy, and he wanted to rest.

So he settled for the simple truth.

"I just..."

Nothing could be easier than the truth, couldn't it?

"... just wanted to see...

"I wanted to see how he felt... about life... the value of existence..."

Enishi stared.

"... wanted to see how you felt..."

The last sentence being whispered in an undertone like Soujirou had been talking to himself, Enishi chose to ignore it. For now. "So you'd jump in front of someone and get all sliced up just to see where his morals laid?" The ex-mafia boss was pointed in his query.

Soujirou smiled ambiguously.

"The next time you pull something like this," the venomous anger in Enishi's voice returned, causing the younger man to jump slightly, even from his position on the floor, "I'm going to bandage you in ribbons."

"......."

"Pink, frilly ones at that."

"Yukishiro-san..."

  
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Kenji only realized that something must be very wrong with him when a few late-night drunkards took one look at him and screamed into the night. He blinked at their fleeing figures, snapping into awareness for the first time since he departed from the shrine. Shifting slightly, a heavy weight to his right caught his attention. He glanced down.

Ah yes. Enishi's sword. Unsheathed.

"No wonder," Kenji muttered to himself. Idly he considered hiding it in an alleyway so he could continue his sojourn to the station in peace, but the sheer possibility of the sword getting lost - relative to the sheer impossibility of him being able to buy a new one similarly modified to replace it for Enishi - bowled him over and he sullenly continued his journey with the blade. It didn't help that it was still raining, and after a while Kenji decided that he was really pissed.

You would too, if everybody who saw you did double takes and ran away.

"I'm not going to kill them or anything..." The boy sighed, noticing the beam of light stretching forth from the slightly opened doors of the police station just up front. Dulling wondering to himself how he hadn't even realized he had arrived at his destination, he trudged his way through the wet soil.

As he approached the building, he could hear voices from within. The room itself sounded empty enough, so he assumed that there were only a scanty amount of officers left in the station. Putting a hand on the ajar door to carefully push it open, the first thing he became consciously aware of was how hideously bad the tobacco smelled where he stood. The next thing was that the stupid door squeaked, thereby ruining his attempt of an inconspicuous entrance. As soon as his view became unblocked by the door, however, he breathed an internal sigh of relief to note that only the man he had earlier heard Soujirou refer to as Saitou, and another man with an assortment of swords strapped across all parts of his body, were in the spacious room.

There was something not quite right, however, about the way they stared at him.

Kenji waited until he saw, distinctly, Saitou's cigarette butt burn right to where the latter's gloved fingers kept it clamped. The resulting ash descended onto the floor quickly, and that was the end of the cigarette. Silently cheering that he would not have to face the insidious smell of tobacco now, Kenji glided easily through the messy array of wooden desks and scattered papers.

Coming to the front of the desk where Saitou was seated - in a rather unassuming corner of the room, no less - Kenji blinked. They were still staring at him strangely. 

Saitou glanced unhappily at his burnt out cigarette. "Who did you kill before coming here?" He broke the silence by asking.

Kenji looked vaguely surprised at the question.

Not to be deterred, Saitou pointed at the boy's left hakama. There, instead of the white cloth he last remembered, Kenji was horrified to see that it had developed a rather large scarlet stain which traversed the distance of the cloth on his knees upwards to half the length of his dark blue gi. Even if the blood wasn't as readily visible as it was on the gi as it was on the hakama, Kenji suddenly understood why everybody had fled when they saw the sight that was himself, before them. And to complete the picture, the rain had spread whatever there was to spread of the blood into a pretty pink gradient down from the original stain.

"Well, you should try asking something else," Kenji mumbled, slightly annoyed. He gently leaned the long sword in his hand against the desk, exercising his shoulders a little to soothe the stiffness, "this is actually Soujirou's blood."

"You MANAGED to slash him??!" The broomhead next to the desk gasped incredulously. Somehow, the fact that he was more surprised at how Kenji had /managed/ to slash Soujirou as opposed to the fact that Soujirou had been /slashed/, disturbed the boy.

"No," the irritated Kenji snapped, turning to glare at the broomhead, causing him to take an involuntary step backwards, "what would I do that for?" Quickly, before anybody could counter his words, the redhead produced a folded map from nowhere and slammed it hard against the table.

Chou jumped. But Saitou remained impassive.

And Kenji explained.

It took all but a few massive paragraphs of summarized events to cover the duration of the evening in the ancient shrine - with some choice editing of contents by the one and only Himura Kenji himself. By then Saitou had lit yet another cigarette he had not quite managed to touch, and Chou now leaned resplendently against the wall near the desk.

Saitou frowned at his unsmoked cigarette and promptly squashed it against the nearest pile of paper, ignoring Chou's aghast gape. Drawing his gloved hands together he propped his chin against them and stared right into Kenji's eyes. "Your idiocy is causing much disruptions to our operations." He declared.

The boy winced. He was so going to be sent back home.

"But Saitou," Chou eyed the police officer thoughtfully, "that was the Yuugure's Tokyo headquarters that we've been looking for, for months!"

"Well you've found it now, haven't you?" Kenji shrugged.

"Yes, and you've ruined our entrance," Saitou leaned against his chair and tapped his desk impatiently. "It seems like they were ready to ship quite a bit of things tonight. If we'd got to them first we could have gotten more information about the deal..." he broke off slightly from his dialogue to glare at Kenji, "no thanks to you three morons."

Kenji looked away, his arms akimbo. He was dying to get out of here. "That's all from me," he stated tersely, "good night and good bye."

"Wait."

A bundle of something hit Kenji lightly against the back of his head. He turned around and glanced questioningly, first at Saitou, then at the bundle.

"You'll need that," the wolf did not elaborate, "and tell those two outlaws they're not needed around here anymore." At this point of time he and Chou exchanged a knowing glance between each other. "So they should get the hell out of here as soon as possible, if they value their freedom." He reached for another cigarette and quickly lit it, much to Kenji's chagrin.

"Does this mean we'll not be seeing you again for a long, long time?" Kenji raised an eyebrow in query, suspecting something Saitou was not letting him in on.

Saitou exhaled, a wolvish grin on his face. "You'll never be rid of my shadow, boy.

"Just like how you can never be rid of /his/."

Lightning flashed overhead and lit the station up. Kenji felt his entire body go cold. He wanted, suddenly, to know how much this man in front of him knew about himself.

Or for that matter, how much he knew, about his father.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
16/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
Ooh, this chapter just wrote itself.

  
Re: Kenji, a torch, and a room of gunpowder (Espi)  
Now that you mention it, yeah... *_*x oh dear. I have slighted Kenji's intelligence!! *looks away and whistles innocently*

Re: NOOO!!! SOUJIROU!!!! (Shahrezad1, April-san, Silver Nightingale)  
Of course he's not fatally hurt. *_*x I would sooner kill myself!! Not forgetting how many Soujirou fans will be after my life if I should do that... o_Ox

Re: Soujirou's height (Shahrezadl)  
I think he has a cute height. :3 I mean, look at the number! 163cm. So cute!! He's just 2cm shorter than me, too. XD

Re: Enishi, you jerk! *BONK* (April-san)  
But Enishi is cute too! XDDD And he has a pretty good reason for not being there... at least I hope he does. o_Ox;;; Aww, if you hit Enishi any further, Soujirou's gonna cry. XD

Re: EK  
I'm happy you like the fic!

Re: Tanya  
I'm afraid I'm not qualified enough to help anybody with any form of writing. *_*x How about you ask some of the columnists on ff:net? :D I'm sure they're the pros! XD

And, I so agree that Saitou is only cutting their allowance because Soujirou's been slipping things out of the office. XD April-san, YOU'RE the genius! *_*x


	10. 09: Respite

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 9: Respite

  
"Tell those two outlaws," Kenji deadpanned his best impersonation of Saitou, "that they're not needed around here anymore. So they should get the hell out of here as soon as possible, if they value their freedom. Oh," the boy brandished the package Saitou had tossed at him, "that was after he struck me in the head with this thing here."

Enishi eyed the package suspiciously. He then reached over, slowly, to take hold of the thing from Kenji.

It was a simple package; brown, ordinary, indescript and squarish in volume. Obviously simple paper wrapped over a box of sorts. Kenji's curiousity began to grow when Enishi took his time in unwrapping the thing. The boy was confounded at how a person like Enishi could take such great care in a menial task like unwrapping a box. When the paper slowly came off, however, he began to see why.

There were words written on the underside of the wrapper.

Setting the message aside for now, Enishi looked into what the box held. Some maps, some envelopes, some pointless pieces of blank paper. And - surprise surprise - several rolls of new bandages and medical salve.

Enishi blinked, and Kenji just stared blankly.

"Bugger," the older person spoke in a grumbling tone, "this means his next assignment for us is not going to be pretty."

"Next assignment?" Kenji quirked an eyebrow. "Wasn't he going to let you both go?"

The man gave the boy the most ridiculous stare he could muster. As if the mere IDEA of Saitou discharging them from service was unthinkable. Kenji was tempted to ask how long exactly Saitou had been lording over the duo, but thought the better of it. He had a feeling he did not want to know. A sudden spark of inspiration hit him, however, and he leaned forward slightly. "Why did he call you," he pitched his tone to sound as casual as possible, "outlaws?"

Enishi's hand jerked to a stop above a roll of bandages. His glance flickered to Kenji, and the boy could see traces of something intense hidden within those icy blue depths. He looked like he was debating whether to give a snide or serious reply. Eventually he looked away and snorted noncommittedly.

"If you really want to know, you can ask the Tenken when he wakes up later," the white-haired man nodded in Soujirou's direction. Pausing slightly, Enishi frowned at the boy, "Tell me you didn't walk into the police station with that bloody hakama, my sword, and that ridiculous cross-scar on your left cheek."

Kenji gave him a blank stare. "What are you talking about?" He said slowly. "Of course I did. And, before you say anything," he held a hand out, "yes, everybody fled from me. I don't blame them, though. That reminds me." The boy wiped at his left cheek furiously with his shoulder, trying to scrub the ink off. "If Soujirou is not dead yet, he's gonna die later for doing this."

Still fixed with an incredulous expression on his countenance, Enishi asked, "Did the crabhead say anything?"

"Nothing to inspire that ridiculous look on your face," the young Himura shrugged. Quickly averting his eyes, he leaned against the same wall Enishi had been leaning against previously and sighed lightly, the recollections of the police station coming back in full force. Any attempts to interrogate Saitou of what he knew about him, or his father, had ended up in terrible failure. Kenji eventually left the station in a slight fit, and with slightly more insight about why Soujirou and Enishi was quite unable to slip out of the evil wolf's grasp.

When that man wanted you to do something - it was do or die. And when he wanted to hide something - it was worst than squeezing blood from stone.

"You know," Kenji almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Soujirou's voice, "the rain's almost stopped. Should we get out of here soon? I don't think I can withstand Saitou-san's wrath when he gets here..."

Enishi had already begun to stand up. "You're right," the sigh was almost audible through his words. "We need to get somewhere else and redo those bandages."

By this time, Kenji was by the prostrate Soujirou's side. "You're awake!" He exclaimed, not bothering to hide his joy. Of course, he completely forgot about the death threat he had just uttered moments ago as well. The Tenken gave him a weak smile.

"Thanks for your concern, Himura-san," the boyish wanderer nodded, "I'm just a bit numb on my left side at the moment. Nothing some rest won't solve. The bleeding's stopped too, so it's nothing that serious for now - just a small risk of infection." He paused to cough twice, then laugh. "Trust me, Himura-san, I've been hurt far worse than this before."

"You talk entirely too much for being half-dead," Enishi interrupted sullenly. He had the wrapper with the message in his hands, and Kenji could sense the drop in his mood. "Since you're so full of energy, I assume you can walk now?"

Soujirou immediately pushed himself into a sitting position, with the floor as support. The pain he had to bear with became visible on his face, and through his gritted teeth. "I haven't been hurt this bad in years," he grinned moronically, ignoring Enishi's glares. "Himura-san, could you help me stand?"

Kenji very spontaneously did.

Slowly, they crept down the stairs and observed the temple surroundings for a while before sneaking out to enlist the help of the trees for camouflague. While they kept themselves concealed behind the shrubbery, distant voices could be heard, coming closer with every breath. The trio listened intently, until the voices were no longer incoherent garble, but discernable words.

"Of all the days, it had to happen TODAY?"

The light of a few fire torches passed over the bushes they were hiding under.

"I bet they're still inside. I managed to give one of 'em a nasty wound. Come on!" It was the man who had slashed Soujirou.

Enishi's eyes narrowed and his grip on his sword tightened with a taut 'clink'. As his two other companions watched on, one with concern and the other with curious interest, the man's expression flickered and changed. He blinked, and appeared staring at something straight ahead. Quickly following his glance, Kenji and Soujirou found what had evoked the switch in Enishi's mood.

The silver fox sat regally before them, its stark, almost luminous fur making it stand out from among the dark undergrowth. Its ethereal grin never once left its face.

When it was sure it had the trio's undivided attention, it turned and bounded off into the woods, a mysterious, fading laughter accompanying it.

A calm settled over.

"Well, that was..." Soujirou whispered, in fear of being overheard by the people who had just passed by, "... strange."

While Kenji shrugged, Enishi had his glare trained on the shrine entrance, where the entourage had just entered into. Judging from his murderous expression, he looked like he had half a good mind to go in after them and slaughter everybody on sight.

"What's the next best thing to do now?" The youngest of the group queried in a tired voice. "We can't keep crouching here forever."

"We can either go back out in the open or crawl our way through the woods," Enishi offered, eyes still on the entrance.

"Going back out in the open is not a good idea," Soujirou's smile was nervous, to say the least, "we'll be in a clear line of sight from whatever reinforcements the two escaped guards have brought."

"That would be very convenient," Enishi began to smile very smugly, "they won't live to see another day."

His partner's smile began to twitch. "That was what I was afraid of." He sighed, feeling the cold, night air seep into his being. "What do you think, Himura-san..." The wanderer blinked at the empty space beside him, where Kenji had been. "... Himura-san?" He quickly scanned the dark surroundings. Not a trace of the boy could be seen.

"See? Even the redhead agrees," Enishi grinned maliciously, "I bet he went back to the temple already."

"He MAY have gone back," Soujirou held a hand over his partner to stop him from standing up, "but YOU'RE staying here! Really, Yukishiro-san! You-"

"Ladies," the clear, mocking voice of Kenji interrupted the duo from their mini squabble, "if you're done bantering loudly now, would you two please step over here?"

The said duo turned their heads at the same time to see the boy peer out at them from a large trunk, which, if Soujirou remembered correctly, had been the same trunk the silver fox had disappeared behind. Kenji then quickly vanished, leaving the two confused wanderers to stare bewilderedly at each other.

Wordlessly, Enishi carefully helped Soujirou to stand and together, they took the turn around the trunk.

  
------------------------------------------

  
"Wow..." Soujirou's eyes were bright with awe. "... how did you find this place, Himura-san?"

Kenji shrugged from his place beside a steady wooden wall. "Followed the fox." He briefly explained.

When the duo had previously rounded the trunk and walked a little further, they found a most welcoming sight awaiting them. There, tucked behind thick foliage and virtually sheltered from any worldly observance, was a small shack of a comfortable size, glowing slightly in the moonlight. Upon entering the hut, the trio were surprised to see that the room was rather well furnished for occupation. There were several ritualistic items hoarded at a dark corner beside a wooden desk and stool, making them come to the conclusion that this must be a seclusion hut for the priests and priestesses of the temple which had been abandoned like it had. Dusty as it was, it made for a rather snug spot after a bit of cleaning.

Soujirou was promptly assigned (or rather, dumped on) the futon which Kenji unrolled on the unyielding wooden floor. While Enishi contemplated the bandages, Kenji propped a wooden window open and stared out into the dark forest. The crickets had resumed their chirping after the slight shower just now, and it was strangely comforting to listen to them.

"Read the note, boy," Enishi's terse command eventually pulled Kenji out from nature-gazing. Slightly annoyed, Kenji walked over to the table where they had left their things and picked the brown wrapper up, turning it to the side where Saitou had left his mark. As his eyes scanned the message, he all but summarized it up in two words.

Kyoto. Now.

"So now it's Kyoto?" The boy mused openly, not noticing upturned lips suddenly snapping into a straight line on Soujirou's face. "I knew he couldn't have let you off without wanting something /else/ in return."

"W-We have to go to Kyoto?" Soujirou's voice was tiny. His smile had completely vanished. Enishi's stoic silence only confirmed his fears.

"What is he expecting you to do there?" Kenji was as curious as a fourteen year old could be.

The ex-mafia boss glanced curtly at him. "'We,' stupid boy. The question is what is he expecting us to do when /we/ get there. And to answer that question - we'll only know when we get there."

The night quickly descended into silence and tranquility, wherein Kenji was too shocked at being regarded as a comrade to ask any more questions.

They rested. For they had a long journey ahead.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
18/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
This chapter is so brain-dead. More action to come, I think... d'oh. Of course! Kyoto is the hotbed of action for anything RK. ^_~x

I drew a little something for everybody reading the fic! I put it on my page (which you can access from my profile), or, here's the direct link:  
tougenkyou . net / xd / concept / three_s.jpg  
(remember to remove spaces!)

I also realized that... with some choice lengthening of hair, Soujirou... CAN PASS OFF AS A DEAD RINGER FOR TOMOE (he'll also need some anti-smile medicine, though)!!! Enishi! Is /that/ the reason why you're travelling around with Soujirou?

Sou: Yukishiro-san! @_@ Is that true??!  
Eni: ...

... Just kidding. XD

  
Re: Tanuki-dono  
Enishi and Soujirou "play off of each other so nicely"... ? XD you scared me for a while there, Tanuki-dono. XD i'm glad you liked the imagery though! *_*x i thought lightning would be a bit overused at first. XD

Re: Brittany67  
*bows* thank you so much! *_*x

Re: April-san  
orooo! i thought you liked soujirou?? please don't bonk him! it hurts to bonk, like you tried on yourself. XD XD XD i think it was a combination of the ink scar, the blood on kenji's pants and his very scary sword that scared the general populace away, though. XD

Re: Silver Nightingale  
don't worry! XD saitou won't ever let them go if his life depended on it, muahahhahaha. after all, where else could he get labourers who worked for half the wages but with twice the efficiency? XD

Re: Shahrezad1  
the pink, frilly ribbons are really grabbing everybody's attention, isn't it? XD


	11. 10: Quiet Departure

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 10: Quiet Departure

  
The day was off to a good start, with a bright sun and chirping birds and all those things which made Meiji mornings like fairy-tales. There were no more disturbances for the trio in the night, so they were considerably refreshed and ready for more action when day came in the form of comfortable, golden rays through the shack's only window.

Kenji blearily opened his eyes and stretched, yawning his fatique away at the same time. He had found a nice little corner to curl up against during the night and was surprised at how soundly he managed to sleep in foreign terrain. Glancing around quickly, he saw that Soujirou was already awake - although he remained lying down for some reason. He had his hands outstretched, and, with that ever-present smile on his face, was examining his palms like they had the most interesting things written on them.

"Where did Enishi go?" Kenji inquired of the first thing that came to his mind.

The sprawled wanderer remained unfazed, like he had known that the boy was awake all the time. "Yukishiro-san went to the nearby stream to clean the blood off his shawl," Soujirou informed the boy, his eyes still fixed on his palms. "He said he'll be getting some food as well."

Almost instinctively, Kenji turned to look at the blood on /his/ hakama, wincing at the deep red. Blood did not smell nice, and it made for a terrible decoration. "Did that sword go through an artery or something?" He morosely shook his head. "How you can still talk and smile today after being cut up so badly last night is a wonder to me."

Soujirou's smile did not waver. He did, however, stop looking at his palms and was now content to let his hands be. "I wish I could get up," he lamented, without any real purpose, "then I wouldn't feel like a cripple."

"You need help?" Kenji moved towards the older person, but was stopped when the latter shook his head and waved him away.

"I'm under strict orders not to get up until Yukishiro-san returns," he informed the nonplussed dojo runaway, who found himself unable to discern the clear /logic/ behind that sentence, "because otherwise, I'm not going to be eating anything for the whole day as punishment!" Soujirou laughed, but had to stop halfway when his injury got in his way.

Kenji shrugged slightly, deciding that he would not pursue the issue. "What's our agenda for today like?" He quipped, after a short silence had ensued.

"Oh, I'm not too sure," Soujirou's smile was back in full force, "but we'll have to get out of Tokyo soon. I think we'll be avoiding the main routes, though. If I'm not wrong, Yukishiro-san was thinking of taking a small detour through the Rakunin-mura." The smiley face turned his head to regard the smaller boy amiably. "We happen to know a few people there who might be of help."

The young boy's mind, however, was on anything but their way of passage. "So we'll be leaving Tokyo," his voice was trimmed with a hopeful edge, and he almost burst out grinning when Soujirou nodded. Quickly looking away, he contented himself with listening to the melodious orchestra of nature. So engrossed was he that he did not notice the aroma of fish being fried over fire until a small whiff of smoke strangulated his breathing. "What's that?" He found himself asking while looking at the door.

"Hm?" Soujirou was still lying on the floor, happily examining his fingernails. "Smells like fish over fire to me?"

Ignoring the wanderer for stating the obvious, Kenji lifted the single piece of tattered cloth which obscured the outside from inside and stepped onto the grass. There was smoke visible from where he stood on the left side of the hut, and he made his way there, realizing that at the same time, he was also following the smell of the food.

He turned the corner and was somehow not really surprised to see Enishi there, crouched over a small fire. His dark blue shawl was stretched over a tree branch nearby, dripping wet - but relatively clean from bloodstains. For a while Kenji pondered if he should ask where that stream was, so he could go down and get his hakama cleaned up as well, but thought the better of it. As far as he was concerned, this hakama was ruined - and a new one was the only solution he would accept for it.

Walking closer, he could smell the fried fish in their full glory. Enishi had three sticks propped up against the fire, which he was dully fanning with a large leaf. There was a makeshift basket made of strong leaves by his side, and in it laid more fish. His sword was stuck in the ground beside him, upright. If Enishi could sense Kenji's presence, he made no action to acknowledge it, until the boy came to his side and crouched down as well, forcing him to shift slightly away to make space for the newcomer.

Kenji eyed the basket carefully. "That's a lot of fish for three people." He remarked.

"They'll come in handy," was the other's bored response. Poking at a stick of fish with a small branch, he decided that it was ready and promptly uprooted it from the ground. He settled the thing over the large leaf he had been using to fan the fire just now and stared pensively at another stick of fish. A few moments passed before he uprooted that one as well and laid it on the same leaf. He nodded at Kenji. "Both of you can take this."

The boy hadn't notice how hungry he actually was, until he stared as the smoke rising up nicely from his prospective breakfast. "Don't mind if I do!" He almost chirped, taking the meal into his hands and bouncing off back into the shack.

Enishi's eyes drifted slowly from Kenji's receding figure, to the fire, to the extra fish in the basket.

He eyed them with an unreadable expression, as if he was trying to decide how best to make them come in handy.

  
------------------------------------------

  
Before noon, the trio were already well departed from the snug shack which had housed them for a night. They stayed as far removed as they could from the beaten track which led to the shrine, choosing to weave through the thick foliage instead until they chanced upon a small, unused back alley facing the small stream which separated the forest from civilization. It was just as well, since they were currently on a mission to avoid as much human contact as it was possible. There was no telling when Saitou might show up and toss them all into a locked cell with no key while mercilessly laughing away.

"Are you," Soujirou asked, as they trudged along the dirt path, "going to give those to the people in the village?" He was referring to the basket of fish Enishi had in his hands.

The man nodded.

"What's this Rakunin-mura place like?" Kenji was, once again, curious. He had lived in Tokyo all his life, but never had he once heard of anyone mentioning the place. "Is it even around here?"

"Aye, Himura-san, it sure is," Soujirou beamed brightly. He was well enough to walk on his own again, although they had to slow down half a pace so as not to aggravate the wanderer's injuries with over-exertion. "Like that shrine we went to, the Rakunin-mura is on the outskirts of Tokyo - one of the places whereby we can exit Tokyo without arousing too much attention."

"Hmm..." The young boy's eyes brightened up at the potential adventure of mucking around in a dark, forbidden corner of modern Tokyo. "It must be a really exciting place! Tell me more!"

At that, Enishi snorted. "Why do you bother asking? Take a look for yourself. We're here."

Kenji turned from looking expectantly at Soujirou to the sight before him.

To say he was stunned would be an understatement.

A long, moaning wind swept through the seemingly empty fields - caked with dried sand which peeled and cracked at the surface. There were huge piles of refuse lingering in tiny mountains sparsely around the area, and Kenji thought he saw a tumbleweed roll across at one point of time. Although it was nearly noon, the boy swore this place was clouded with a fog of doom and despondancy so dark, it almost seemed like it was dusk. He shot a quick glance at Soujirou, noticing with slight annoyance that his smile remained in place, and he did not seem any more surprise than Enishi was at the rubble.

Before Kenji could question any of them, however, Enishi took a step further. He breathed.

"I~~ brouuuuuuught~~ fiiiiiiish~~"

Immediately after Enishi's long drawl, Kenji decided that he was too surprised to really laugh. It wasn't like the Enishi he knew at all to be shouting something as ridiculous as that, to a ruined land where nobody dwelt. Soon after he decided he was going to start laughing, however, he noticed movement behind one of the pile of rubbish to the far left. He glanced over, and confirmed his instincts. There was someone there. Or at least, someone who peeped out with an eye visible. Recognition flashed through the single eyeball, and he soon revealed his entire form. It was a man in his mid-fourties or so, limping towards the entrance where the trio stood with a lopsided smile on his face.

"It's Enishi!" He shouted into the air. Soon after he did, an incessant mumbling arose from behind most of the rubbish. "He brought us food, guys! Come on!"

Without knowing what was really happening, the young Kenji found himself being inadvertably swept into a small crowd huddled over a campfire, at the very back of a few hills of rubbish. The few men there cheered happily when Enishi brandished his basket of fish, and all of it got dumped into the large cauldron boiling over the same fire they kept strong - even if it was midday.

"I haven't had meat in years!" One howled passionately. A few others hooted along with him in their strange little way.

"For that matter, I don't remember having eaten for days..." Another one stroked his chin thoughtfully. Those around him laughed.

"Then why are you still alive?" The one seated beside him jovially smacked him on the back. More laughter ensued.

"Ooh! There's a big bubble in the cauldron!"

"No kidding! Hey look, I can see the fish's eye in the bubble!"

"The sweet smell of meat~~~ !"

The friendly banter continued.

Kenji was in the midst of wondering if he was going mad when he distinctly heard a stick thump on the ground behind him. Turning around, he saw an old man with quaint, rounded glasses and a toothy grin smiling at him. In his hands he held a few rolled pieces of paper, and he flashed more rotten teeth than Kenji could count in that instance. "You both again!" He squeaked in a raspy voice. "And a new friend! Hello there!" The old man held a hand out to Kenji, who stared at it incredulously. "No?" He retrieved his hand quickly and replaced it over his staff. "What a cold young boy you got here!" He laughed.

At this point of time, Kenji decided he was scared.

"Old guy," Enishi, however, was nowhere as insane as the people here. In fact, he sounded rather somber, "we need your help."

"I know, I know," the old man took the few rolled pieces of paper from under his arm and handed them to Enishi, "I knew I would see you here when I saw those in the marketplace today."

The white-haired man unrolled the paper. It had, clearly printed on it, profile pictures of both Soujirou and Enishi, tacked with a small note at the bottom which read 'these two dangerous outlaws have been spotted in Tokyo /magnum opus/, any information /blah blah/ would be verily much appreciated /yadda yadda/ with a large reward /etcetera etcetera/, signed, police division chief - Fujita Gorou'. Kenji paused to reassemble his thoughts. "I thought you were working for the police?" He could not help but ask.

Enishi just stared at him.

"I think this is Saitou-san's way of keeping us on our toes," Soujirou interjected, still, Kenji noted, with that confounded smile on his face. "If he hadn't been doing this all these years, I'm afraid I would have forgotten how to even do a three-step Shukuchi by now!"

"'Shukuchi'?" Kenji found that word oddly familiar. Before his thoughts could progress further, however, Enishi spoke up again.

"So?" He was addressing the old, toothy man. "Are you going to help?"

"Impatient as usual, young people nowadays..." The old man shook his head. "... Yes, yes, of course. What's a large reward to social drop-outs like us, anyway?" He pat a spot on the ground and promptly sat down on it, joining his companions before the fire. "You will stay for lunch at least, won't you?" He smiled happily at the trio from where he sat.

While Enishi looked somewhat cross, Soujirou was the one who replied, "Of course, Oibore-san! I'll even help you stir the pot!"

Oibore cackled. "You're always the friendly one! Yes, yes, stir the pot! Stir it good! Stir it hot!" He chimed, handing a half beaten wooden stick to the blue-clad wanderer, who immediately set about doing what he had promised he would.

Kenji settled down and determined to stay as quiet as it was biologically possible. He wondered if insanity could be spread via air.

Enishi and the old Oibore, however, sat in stony silence. And for someone with a serious injury, Soujirou was proving himself more resilient than anybody gave him credit for. Stirring the huge cauldron was just a side-point. The boyish wanderer quickly began to lead the perpetually sugar-high crowd in an off-key song which included fishbones and bandannas. Kenji winced - initially at the tune and eventually at the lyrics. What he would give to have a little of whatever Soujirou was on.

He did, however, remain sane enough to overhear Enishi and Oibore, who sat in front of him, engage in a small, but meaningful conversation.

"What a lark that boy is!" Oibore was saying - obviously referring to Soujirou. "If only my son was half as happy!"

Enishi growled.

"I am sure that my daughter was happy," the old man continued seamlessly, "even until she breathed her last!"

A small metallic 'clink' told Kenji that Enishi had just tightened his grip on his sword. The silence between the duo dragged for a while more, and Kenji found himself being pulled in entirely. He was honestly, painfully interested in the conversation - for reasons he himself did not know.

"I only wanted her to smile for me..." It came as a shock to the boy, but he was sure Enishi had just whimpered. "... smile and tell me that I was doing the right thing..."

"You can't just live for one person," Oibore sounded surprisingly lucid, "that isn't what I would call a real life."

"I knew of no other way to live."

"It's not like you to have come this far if that was truly the case," Oibore's chuckle could be heard in his tone, "there is surely more purpose to your life than to waiting for a smile that might never be."

Another bout of sufferable silence encroached the air around them. For some reason, Kenji was sure the duo in front of him were staring at the very personification of happy, who was at the moment handing out rations of fish and soup to those gathered around him. Struck momentarily by how well Soujirou seemed to blend with anything and anybody thrown in his way, Kenji almost didn't hear the faint admission Enishi next made.

"Maybe you're right," the man slouched slightly, his proud form shrinking into that of a resigned warrior's, "maybe."

No other words passed between the old man and his younger companion.

  
------------------------------------------

  
They had slight difficulty pulling Soujirou out from the throngs in the village he had been engrossed in getting friendly with, but a good whack over the head brought the trigger-happy wanderer to his senses. Oibore skipped about and promptly brought them in, out and around several pile of refuse which looked like they were carbon copies of each other. Kenji wondered how the old man remembered his way around, because he had given up trying to remember the route after the old man rounded the thirteenth pile of garbage. He now knew why his companions had sought the help of this particular old gentleman.

"We've been moving the refuse around," as if on cue, Oibore spoke up in his happy, raspy voice, "like we always do when we have nothing to do, see? It's not that hard to remember which one goes where, too - you just have to remember the little marks like where the spiders build their nest and where the crows prefer to perch. Then there is the garbage which may look familiar on first glance but oh! If you stare at them long enough, you can eventually make out the difference!" He stopped to catch his breath and cackle.

After which, he continued with his mindless yapping.

Which was why Kenji was so entirely, physically, emotionally and mentally relieved when they stepped away from the towering piles of garbage and into an open path, which, although was beaten, appeared to be quite unused.

"Will you be all right, Oibore-san?" Soujirou asked, the moment Oibore made it such that he was about to hobble back.

"Yes, yes," the old man drawled in his happy-go-lucky tone again, "what will the police do with a deranged old man like myself? What can they do to us that the society hasn't already done?" He laughed again. "Be good boys, and stay out of trouble, aye!" He waved shakily, and without saying another word, returned the way he had come from.

Kenji drooped.

"I never," he shook his head while he was at it, "never, EVER want to go there again."

"Why not, Himura-san?" Soujirou cheerfully asked. "They are very nice people!"

"ARRGH!" The boy grabbed at his hair in sheer frustration.

It was at this point of time that Soujirou began to blink at the surroundings. "Ara..." A practiced smile returned to his face. "Are we taking this path, Yukishiro-san?"

"Does it look like there's another path around here we can take?" Enishi was glowering slightly.

"That's great!" Soujirou clasped his hands together. "Because if we are, then there's a grave around here we have to visit before setting off."

Both Kenji and Enishi stared blankly at him.

The Tenken thought for a while, then tilted his head slightly.

"Four graves, to be precise!"

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
19/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
This chapter wasn't supposed to happen. And then it just happened. o_Ox;; Anyway, more melodrama for at least one more chapter. Please bear with me! Then again, this /is/ a drama fic, isn't it? Hmm...

Oh, and just one more thing - please feel free to point out my grammar / coherence / etc errors in your reviews!

  
Re: jbramx2  
I thank you so much for your compliments! I actually don't really know how to write Saitou, which is why I never really dwell on him in the fic. XD I hope I did him justice. *_*x

Re: Shahrezad1  
Poor Enishi. I think I've framed him up pretty well. XD Yep yep, Kyoto is where the heart of the Shishio Makoto arc took place. And yes, Misao, Aoshi and the Oniwabanshuu are all there. ^_~x

Re: Tanuki-dono  
Goal-orientated? XD XD XD In the heat of inspiration the updates /will/ come very rapidly. When it fans off I can take as long as half a year. *shudders at the thought* *huggles Tanuki-dono* Thanks for your constant support all throughout the fic. :D


	12. 11: Nameless Heroes

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 11: Nameless Heroes

  
If Soujirou hadn't been so intent on grabbing at every single wildflower they saw on their way, they could have arrived at their destination a lot earlier than evening time. The random walking had greatly alleviated the tension in Kenji's head, however, and he was glad somewhat that Soujirou had suggested the stroll. Still, he quite very quickly remembered their original purpose when they leisurely broke through the thick trunks of trees and came to a secluded clearing.

At the edge of the clearing, laid four nameless gravestones.

Kenji watched with amusement as Soujirou insisted rather persistently that Enishi put some flowers before the graves. The sullen man had refused, as expected, at first, but gradually began to cave in under the consistent efforts of his sunny partner. He mechanically put the flowers where Soujirou asked him to, and although Kenji could see the dissatisfaction in Soujirou's eyes, he knew the man knew better than anybody that this was the furthest he could go in getting Enishi to do something he did not want to.

Enishi then quickly left the scene and retreated behind a tree trunk somewhere near the clearing. As he did, Soujirou gestured for Kenji to step closer.

"You know these people?" Kenji asked, when he came to a stop before the gravestones. He was passed some flowers as well, and though he did not hesitate to take them, he wondered for a while what he should do with them.

"I've never met them before," Soujirou admitted, putting his own portion of the flowers before one of the gravestones. Kenji took the cue and placed the flowers in his hands before the only gravestone currently barren of offerings.

Perplexed at his companion's answer, however, the boy asked, "Then why... ?"

A long, almost lonely silence embraced the duo.

"There was a young man," Soujirou eventually spoke, "drowning in his own insanity. He was reaching for something he could never get. He let nothing stand in his way in his search for his goal. He caused thereafter, directly and indirectly, the downfall of many a good man," the wanderer paused to smile at Kenji, although there was no mirth in it, "and four good men lie here, because of what he used to do."

Kenji's hair rustled in the soft breeze. "You mean..." he hesitated," ... Enishi?"

"..." Soujirou's smile widened. "Yes and no, Himura-san."

Could this be, Kenji wondered, what Saitou had meant by calling Soujirou and Enishi outlaws? That the two people he travelled with had been guilty of countless bloodshed in the past? The thought did not disturb him as much as he knew he should - he had seen for himself how dependable they were despite their shadowy pasts. How they were even willing to risk their necks to rescue someone from danger. Even killers could have a change of heart, perhaps? His father would not have been so popular otherwise, he was sure.

Shifting slightly, the young boy listened on.

"Yukishiro-san may not show it," Soujirou was saying, bowing deeply towards the graves at the same time, prompting Kenji to mimick the action clumsily, "but I can tell it always bothered him that he hadn't been doing the right things. At least, the right things in the eyes of his deceased sister." The wanderer rose to full height again and held his hands behind his back, expression unreadable. "Kind of like me," he added as an afterthought, chuckling slightly.

"Is that why you insisted that he paid his respects?" Kenji questioned the darker-haired person. "To remind him that he needs to stay connected with his past?"

Soujirou's smile widened. "No, Himura-san," his head bobbed slightly as a gust of wind picked up.

"I want to remind him that he can walk out of yesterday's shadow into tomorrow's twilight - if he just tries."

A dramatic rustle of leaves became audible after Soujirou's concluding sentence. Overhead, bright rays of sunshine began to sink below the horizon, painting the picture of a mesmerizing sunset.

"Of course," Soujirou quickly looked away, and began walking towards where Enishi had last been seen trotting to, "the very same words could apply to me. And to some extent," he looked back over his shoulders, smiling reassuredly at the younger boy, "you as well, Himura-san. Well, come on. It looks like we'll be camping out in the open tonight!"

Kenji found himself complying without question, and moving without really thinking.

Was it just him, or did everybody seem to know more about him than he did?

  
------------------------------------------

  
They dwelt under the shade of a large tree near the clearing that night, and woke up the next morning ready for another bout of journeying. Public transport was ruled out for obvious reasons. As they headed down the beaten dirt path, which widened out to a hilly area of rice fields, Soujirou began asking for directions.

"Excuse me, sir!" He called out to a nearby farmer, busy in the fields. "Could you tell us where this path leads to?"

The farmer looked up briefly from under his straw hat. "The one you're walking on?" He gruffly responded. "It goes to the Kanagawa prefecture." With that said and done, he returned to toiling.

"Thank you!" Soujirou's smile stretched considerably. Turning to his companions, he clapped his hands together. "How convenient!" The wanderer was saying to an entirely unconvinced Enishi and a slightly confused Kenji. "Kanagawa, that's where I was born and raised until eight!" His tone betrayed no other feeling.

"Hmmm, your hometown," Kenji gave his own little smile and nodded, "sounds like a good place to go to."

"It sure is, since it will bring us through the path we have to walk on to Kyoto," Soujirou agreed. Turning to Enishi, he continued, "Yukishiro-san?"

Enishi remained unconvinced. "Kanagawa," he repeated with a narrowing of his eyes, "that's the only place we haven't gone to, all these years." There was a questioning look glazed over his features, directed primarily at Soujirou.

The smile never faltered on Soujirou's face. "Come on, Yukishiro-san," he playfully punched his partner on his shoulder, "it's not like I'm going to get lost there. I /did/ grow up there, after all!"

Kenji did not need to turn around to know that Enishi was frowning. "We'll go through the Kanagawa route," he chose his words slowly and meticulously, "but we're not stopping anywhere along the way unless it becomes necessary to spend the night." Enishi was looking straight into Soujirou's eyes, trying to ascertain the younger person's thoughts.

"Don't you want to see the sights?" Soujirou held a finger up and grinned.

"No," Enishi glared him down. "Not when you're leading."

It was kind of fun to see Soujirou pout, then turn around and continue walking down the path which would lead them to Kanagawa, ponytail swishing. Enishi moved as well, keeping a reasonable distance between himself and his smiling partner, whereas Kenji stood rooted to the ground for a bit, watching the receding figures of his companions slowly trekking down the beaten path.

Funny how people looked so different from the front and back, Kenji dully thought to himself, breaking into a jog to catch up with Soujirou - whom he admitted was the more conversational of the lot. Looking up at the smiling face he had grown accustomed to after managing to reach Soujirou's side, however, Kenji was not sure if that was true anymore. Soujirou had his eyes trained on the road before him all right. Yet in those same eyes, Kenji saw an entirely different place and time. This was backed by the fact that the blue-clad wanderer no longer attempted to make small talk. His smile, too, had turned wistful and distant.

It was thus that they arrived that afternoon at the prefecture of Kanagawa.

"Hometown, sweet hometown!" Soujirou made a dramatic gesture after they had walked a short distance and were travelling down a large back alley of proportionately large houses, quiet and abandoned. Enishi had, by this time, decided to join his companions at a reasonable distance instead of trailing far behind, and was currently staring suspiciously at Soujirou from the corner of his eyes. Instead of asking what must have just crossed his mind, however, he merely adjusted his shawl slightly and continued walking, while Kenji alternated his glances between Soujirou and Enishi. There was something going on here that he did not know about.

The boy gently tugged at the edge of Enishi's sleeve, pulling him slightly behind. "Enishi," he muttered in a low whisper, "what's going on?"

Taking a moment to consider his words, the man eventually slowed almost to a stop. He looked at Kenji solemnly. "Today will be a weird day." He mouthed tersely. Without any explanation whatsoever, however, he returned his attention to Soujirou, who had stopped in his tracks under a short tree growing from a crack in the wall. He was looking towards the wall on the other side with wide, flabbergasted eyes.

Kenji and Enishi immediately looked where Soujirou was looking, and found a wooden notice board of sorts lying against the broken wall.

And they were not very surprised to see the same poster Oibore had given them on the board - freshly pasted.

"Oh, no," Enishi's countenance darkened.

A police whistle tooted from behind them.

"You guys!" The man in blue waved a baton at the exasperated trio. "How dare you show your criminal faces in the peaceful prefecture of Kanagawa! Get ready for the gallows!!" He charged dramatically.

And came to a stop in a whirlwind of sand and dust.

"Huh?" The officer spun around again and again on the spot he thought he last saw the 'dangerous outlaws'. "Eh?" He looked towards the path which would lead back outside the prefecture, seeing nobody. "What the-" The same scene of awkward hostility greeted him as he stared further down the path which would lead deeper into Kanagawa.

The trio had disappeared.

"..." He held a hand to his forehead, "... I was seeing things?" He attempted to come to terms with the sudden change in situation. It wasn't everyday a large reward vanished from under your nose, after all. Dejectedly, he continued down the path to the square, where he could quell his unease by asking around for more information from the Kanagawa people.

He did not notice that the poster on the board was gone.

A small rock rolled off the part of the wall which had been broken and hit the ground unceremoniously, bursting into dust and debris. Hidden behind, in the shade of the wall, were the three unwilling travellers, having managed to squeeze through the wall into the abandoned building's courtyard before the officer had a chance to get his grubby hands on them.

"That jerk," Enishi held up the poster he had snatched off the board while in the passage of hiding. "Information wasn't supposed to spread so fast!"

"Saitou-san probably wants us to get to Kyoto as soon as possible!" Soujirou suggested.

Enishi's reply was to tear the poster up into iddy biddy shreds.

"I don't think we can take the open paths now," Kenji stood from his crouched position and ventured further into the courtyard, examining the deserted building with great interest, "I wonder if these houses are connected?"

The white-haired man stood as well, walking towards where the young Himura was bending down to look at the rotted corridors of the house. Only Soujirou remained where he was, huddled against the crumbling wall with a smile painted on his face. "These houses-"

"What are you younglings doing in there?"

Shocked at the new voice, all three spun around to see a wrinkled old lady peering through the ruined wall.

Stiffly, Kenji stood upright. It was getting so that you couldn't trust anybody nowadays - not especially after just being almost caught by a policeman!

"I don't know what you're doing in there for," the lady croaked on, her hand grasping the basket in her hands until the knuckles grew white, "but I would advise you to get out as soon as you can."

"Why?" Naturally inquisitive, Kenji asked. "Something valuable here we shouldn't be messing around with?"

Originally just small and beady, the old lady's visible eye suddenly widened until they were framed with an eerie, bloodshot red.

"Because this family has been cursed with their own blood, since that night almost twenty-five years ago."

A low rumble from heavenward bode for ill weather further that evening, even as dark clouds clamoured overhead, dimming the skies.

Was the sudden gale of cold winds the reason why Soujirou hid his face in his knees and trembled like a leaf... ?

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
22/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
Shahrezad1  
Ah yes. Oibore and his family are weird people. XD But they are very good-looking weird people. :3 AH! MACBETH!! O.Ox I liked that play... maybe there should be a MacShishio fic. XD

Silver Nightingale  
Glad you like the speed update! *.*x Had to sacrifice a bit of coherence though. Don't worry, Soujirou will get his dose of pain-err, drama soon! XD

April-san  
I'm so happy you found memorable phrases from among the chapters! XD I can tell you now for sure that Kenji /will/ find out who they are. And as for his reaction... *blinks* well, I don't really know at the moment. XD Maybe he'll scream. XD XD XD

jbramx2  
Enishi/Misao?! o_Ox Honest to goodness this is the first time I have EVER heard of that pairing. I mean, really?! HOW??! O_Ox;; Okay, nevermind about that. I'll work on keeping Saitou in character! As for whether Kenji knows Misao and Aoshi... errr... let's see... if you wait for another 3 or 4 chapters, you'll find out... I think? Thanks for reading! You really like Enishi don't you? ^____^x

Shihali  
Hmm... you're right, Soujirou would have more graves to visit nearer Kyoto than Tokyo. But since these four graves in Tokyo are linked to both Soujirou and Enishi, I thought it would be appropriate to have them go there for a while. ^_^x Thank for pointing that out!

Firuze Khanume  
Graves are not of those four men he threw in Aoshi's path, but of the... hmm... let's keep that a secret for now - we'll find out who they are when Soujirou talks with Aoshi later. No wait, or did I just give it away? XD Oh, and... THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION!! I was just about to do a search to see if the Inari shrine in Kyoto is the biggest in Japan, and there you go, giving me the information, right at the doorstep! XD I'll definitely credit you in that chapter!! *slobbers Firuze Khanume with a slobbery kiss*


	13. 12: Rainy Recollections

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 12: Rainy Recollections

  
"You don't scare us, ma'am," Kenji was saying, glancing suspiciously at the old lady from the corner of his eyes, "something as immaterial as a curse couldn't have put an entire family to death."

"I speak nothing but truth," the old lady sighed, "a tragedy happened to the people of this large piece of land many, many years ago. Since then, misfortune has struck anybody who dared go near their property. It is a curse, I tell you!" She breathed sharply. "Nothing but a curse could have caused it!"

"Well excuse us," young as he was, Kenji found it appropriate to roll his eyes, "are you the current owner, then?"

The old lady found it in herself to gasp in a disgusted tone, like it was beneath her to be considered related to the old building.

"Then why are you asking so many questions?" Kenji frowned. "It's none of your business if we get cursed or not, isn't it?"

"Why, you rude young man!" The lady quickly bristled. "I was warning you from imminent doom!"

The air staled. Kenji tried hard not to twitch.

And a full mouth-down began.

While Kenji and the distraught old lady debated about the finer points of being near an abandoned house with a family curse, Enishi noted with a slight grimace that Soujirou had not moved from being curled up against the wall, since they came into the courtyards for hiding. Although he did not rule out the possibility of him being tired, or that his injury was agonizing him, Enishi did not like how quickly his partner degenerated from a lively talker to a forlorn figure sitting by a broken wall. He had gotten strangely unfamiliar since the old lady began nattering away.

Having come to some apparent decision, Enishi looked away from Soujirou and took a step closer to where Kenji and the lady were arguing over the cracked wall. "Hey, you." He dully intoned. Both the squabblers ceased whatever they had been talking about and turned their attention to him.

"I don't care if there's a curse around here or not," he began, openly oblivious to the old lady's agitated expression of opposition, "but if you're so interested," he lowered his gaze and snarled with an evil smirk, "I can show you a lot of other ways to die without using a curse to help you."

Against Enishi's psychotic glare of doom, nobody stood a chance. The old lady fled without looking back.

Dropping the leer on his face after he was sure the old lady wasn't coming back, Enishi turned around slightly to regard Soujirou again. Kenji noticed the gesture, but was more forthcoming as he moved slowly towards the huddled wanderer. Bending down, the boy asked, concerned, "Are you all right, Soujirou?"

Only the wind and a distant rumble of thunder replied him.

Kenji and Enishi stared at the unmoving figure of Soujirou, then at each other.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Enishi?" Kenji narrowed his eyes and whispered conspirationally.

"..."

"Nevermind," the boy returned to staring at Soujirou. He slowly raised a hand, carefully and gingerly, as if any sound would disrupt his plans. With an outstretched index finger, he poked at Souijrou's shoulder. No reaction.

Bunching his fingers into a fist, he tried again, nudging the older person harder this time. Soujirou swayed to and fro like a tree being shaken. But otherwise, he remained as he was - calm and inactive.

Enishi made a sound, which Kenji translated to mean 'move away, idiot'. Although unhappy about the implied message, Kenji scurried to one side to allow Enishi to loom over the stooping Soujirou. There was no telling what he was going to do, until he lifted a single foot and toed the hunched figure squarely in his head.

The impact dislodged Soujirou from his foetal-like position and sent him sprawled over the soil.

Kenji and Enishi stared.

The Tenken was fast asleep.

"Now that," Kenji noted, "is a skill everybody needs to know."

"I can knock you out now if you want," Enishi droned. But even when droning, any threat Enishi gave was to be taken seriously. Kenji discreetly retreated two steps. "It looks like it's going to pour soon though," the white-haired man continued, ignoring the boy and glancing up at the dark clouds gathering overhead. "We should get somewhere dry."

  
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By the time they managed to lug Soujirou across the creaking floorboards of the house corridor into the shelter proper, the dark clouds were already moving swiftly across the skies, heralding a tempest. It was only afternoon - late afternoon at most, and yet the threatening gloom made it look like it was in the deep of the night.

"It's been raining a lot lately," Kenji observed, while propping the asleep Tenken against some empty goods crates.

"It'll go on for a while," Enishi agreed from his position at the large doorframe. Wearily he slid down against the weathered cement which made up a portion of the wall beside the frame and placed his sword beside him, staring out at the courtyards, and into the heavens. The bitter winds began to whip up into a strong gale, causing the old, dilapidated house to groan and creak at the pressure. Kenji joined him at the corridor, staring out at nothing in particular, after he was sure Soujirou would not shift in his sleep and hit something hard. There was nothing like companiable silence to keep him comfortable in such times.

They continued staring, until the first drops of rain hit the courtyards with its melodic rhythme.

"I never knew the rain had such a pleasing tune to it," Kenji smiled slightly, after a long silence.

A few seconds went by. "Nothing will sound pleasing to you if your heart isn't in the right condition," Enishi eventually responded.

Recalling his time in the dojo, where everything anybody said was like nothing but a buzz in his ear, and where everything anybody did was grossly wrong in his eyes, Kenji could not help but agree - grudgingly, for at the same time, a chord in his heart was struck.

Could he have been concentrating so much on the negative, that everything positive had been overwhelmed? Had he already decided, beforehand, that whatever anybody in his family said to him, would be inconsequential, and thus to be rejected?

A sigh from beside Kenji drew him out from his train of thought. Glancing briefly at Enishi, he noticed that the white-haired man bowed slightly so that his eyes were not in clear sight. "He doesn't like the rain," he muttered softly.

There could be only one person Enishi was possibly referring to. "Why not?" And Kenji was interested to know the reason.

"The day I know exactly what's going on behind that smiling face of his," Enishi stared evenly at Kenji, "is the day my hair turns back black." There was a note of finality in his last statement, and Kenji deemed it inappropriate to press on. After all, he did agree that Soujirou was a hard nut to crack. Although he didn't seem to be able to connect Enishi's hair colour with any of the issues on hand.

When lightning flashed and thunder boomed, Kenji looked in awe at the heavens. If it rained in the dojo, he would just hole up in his room and mope, or practice in peace in the practice arena. He had never bothered to be deferential of the forces of the elements, for he never had a need to. Travelling and meeting different people, going to different places, however, struck him with an appreciation he never knew he had - of how small he was when compared to the world; and how insignificant his problems were compared to the thousands of other people out there.

Was this why his father did what he did?

The boy shook his head furiously, trying to clear his mind. Admirable as it was, Kenji still failed to see his father in a different light. Well, maybe a little. "You couldn't have saved them all..." he mouthed in an inaudible gripe. "You couldn't have..."

"Hey," Enishi's commanding tone demanded for attention, "you'd better go bring him an umbrella. The rain isn't going to stop anytime soon."

Nonplussed, Kenji stared uncomprehendingly at his companion, who jerked his head backwards into the darkness of the building interior, and said nothing else.

At first, Kenji had no idea what he could possibly mean. But as he stared at the large, empty storage room, an idea struck him, and soon he was left gaping. "Soujirou's gone!" He exclaimed.

"He's been gone for a while now," Enishi concurred.

"What?!" The young boy stood up quickly, shrouded with disbelief.

The older man shrugged, "If he took such great pains to try to leave unnoticed, I shouldn't let his efforts go to waste, should I?" He remained coolly seated on the corridor, staring out into space. "Don't worry, he's still around here."

Kenji could feel his head spinning. "Sometimes I just fail to see the reasoning behind your logic. Or do you just don't care?!" Without waiting for a response, the boy dove into the darkness of the house behind him, trying to remember where he last saw the dusty heap of umbrellas.

While listening to the fading footsteps of Kenji as he thumped his way across the myriads of corridors in the large, derelict house, Enishi slowly closed his eyes.

"Sometimes I fail to see my own reasoning, too."

  
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Kenji traversed countless numbers of wooden corridors which seemed to bear the same face. It was difficult to see in the musty darkness with a bare glimpse of sunlight through the thick, dark clouds, and his search for the missing wanderer did not prove to be easy. That, and that the building was very large and empty, made for a search operation more difficult than he cared to calculate.

He had just about ransacked every nook and crany of the adjoining houses, as well as the barns littered sparsely around the large courtyards. If Soujirou was not indoors, then it was highly probable that he was standing outside, in the rain. Just as he passed by a tall door of sorts, something flashed by the corner of his eyes and he came to a standstill.

Retreating slowly, he stared at the item which had given him a shock.

It was a run-down, rectangular wooden plate of sorts, hung by the doorframe with a single, rusty nail - almost broken with age. Yet it was not the condition of the plate which chilled Kenji to his bones. He stared, and stared again at the two kanji imprinted in ink which had now run off, on the surface of the wood.

Seta.

"Seta..." Kenji echoed to the rumbling of a growl of thunder. Numbly he walked a bit further with those words bouncing off the interior of his mind, gathering all facts to make all the possible connections. As he stood at the corner of the open corridor, a slight shift in position saw that he came in full view of an isolated corner of the courtyards, where one barren tree stood, fiercely determined to survive despite how it obviously was not going to. There was a glimmer of blue that peeked out from the simmering shower of rain. Kenji found himself unable to do anything for a few seconds but stare at Soujirou, who faced the walls and had his back to anybody who cared to see. His hands were limp by his side; his shinai, his only other accessory, left in the warehouse they had first come across.

Kenji wondered if he was still smiling.

Opening an umbrella, and tucking the other one under his arm, Kenji slowly made his way over to where Soujirou stood, taking care to avoid deep mud pits and puddles of rainwater. As if he knew the boy was coming, Soujirou lifted his head towards the skies. With an irascible feeling of disappointment, the young redhead noticed that Soujirou was indeed, still smiling.

"Standing in the rain with an injury at your side," Kenji approached the wanderer slowly from the back, treading carefully around his personal space, "you do some pretty interesting things sometimes."

Tilting his head slightly, Soujirou smiled at the boy. He said nothing, however, and quickly returned to staring at the corner of the walls.

After a bout of insufferable silence, Kenji said, "I brought you an umbrella," in the most level tone he could manage. He held the spare umbrella out.

"That's all right, Himura-san," the boyish wanderer did not turn around, "I'll be heading back soon. I remember the way, don't worry! You can go back first, really."

There was something about how dejected, how lost, and how desolated Soujirou looked in the rain, with his back against all who had sight, that prevented Kenji from making a move.

"Himura-san," the older person suddenly spoke out again, making Kenji jump slightly, "what... what would you say to... to your dead relatives... before their graves... ?"

"..." Kenji was unable to reply immediately. "... I would probably just keep very quiet," he finally said. Soujirou laughed.

"I understand what you mean, Himura-san," he nodded. Still, he made no effort to turn around.

After staring at his companion's back for a few more seconds, Kenji held the spare umbrella out and made sure Soujirou grasped it. "Umbrella's for you, and," he said, "come back in soon, okay?" The pleading edge to the boy's voice was hard to miss. Like he knew there was no way to drag his friend back under a roof, unless he himself felt ready to return to shelter.

Soujirou felt his area go cold - the indication that there was no one but him within the immediate vicinity for now.

He was cold. He did not like the rain. Especially not when they beat on him like that. He had an umbrella poised, but he made no move to open or use it. He just stared ahead, and stood lifelessly rooted to the ground. There were words, but no speech. Thoughts, but no realization. Soujirou just remained where he was, and smiled.

He just smiled.

And only noticed that Enishi had materialized in front of him when he heard the faint sloshing sound of boots against softened mud. Not a few moments later, he could see, from his bowed head, said boots coming within view on the ground before his own feet.

Breathing slightly, Soujirou attempted, but failed, to say a greeting.

"Are you crying?"

The question came as suddenly as the droplets of rain pelting down on his head. Just like someone else had asked him on that night, many, many years ago. Instinctively an answer graced his lips, but died as quickly as it came, for he knew now that he would not speak truth with that reply. Just as he pondered over his dilemma, Soujirou felt the umbrella he had been grasping all this time being relieved from his hands.

"Moron," he could hear Enishi's mocking tone, "you can't tell if it's rain or tears if you don't use this." A sound indicated that the umbrella had been opened, and as Enishi held it over the both of them, the rain was no more.

The streams of water that run down his face were no longer cold, but warm and unyielding.

Enishi gestured for Soujirou to take the umbrella, and the younger person slowly obeyed. His hand manage to somehow find the thin handle of his personal shelter, and he grabbed hold of it firmly.

Just as a pair of strong, calm arms drew him into a reassuring hug; the same pair of arms patting him on his back in a friendly notion - all in the span of a single heartbeat.

The older man then pulled away by stepping backwards, and punched his partner lightly on his shoulder. "If you want to say anything to them," he turned around to walk away, "it has to come from your heart. Don't go around asking people. Especially not greenhorns who have redheads."

There was a whisp, and Enishi departed in the same mysterious way he had arrived in.

It took Soujirou all but a few seconds to finally sink to his knees, tired and cold from standing out in the rain for so long. With his free hand he held onto himself tightly, a single phrase echoing around in his mind.

"I'm sorry!" He sobbed, lips no longer upturned, face no longer perfect. His mask torn from his countenance, it now lay crumpled in a heap of pent-up despair and regret. "... I really didn't mean to... I'm so... I really...

"... I'm really sorry!"

  
------------------------------------------

  
Enishi was nowhere to be seen by the time Kenji returned, although his sword remained where he had last put it, indicating that he would return. The boy sat back down on his place on the corridor, his thoughts catching up with him once more.

"Himura," he tapped his finger on the wooden ground, "Kenshin..."

He tapped. "Hitokiri," tap, "Battousai.."

Another tap. "Himura... Kenji."

Raising his head westwards, he blinked at the direction.

"Kyoto."

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
23/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
I assumed Soujirou grew up in the Kanagawa prefecture seeing how that was his birth place. If he didn't, well, uhm... sorry? ^_^x;;; All right, angst-fest is over! Finally we can go to Kyoto! BUAHAHAHA! *dons padded armour* Okay, Soujirou fans, Enishi fans, I know you all want to grill me for this OOCness chapter. Bring it on! *clangs pots and pans*

  
Firuze Khanume  
Thanks for the links! I'll go through them very carefully and milk them for all they're worth. Nuahahah!! I am an asshole and yes, I forgot they moved their graves closer Kyoto. Forgive me!! m(_ _)m Now, for my excuse for there still being gravestones there: Aoshi either thought it appropriate to leave it, or Soujirou made some himself for remembrance! *laughs maniacally* Okay, that was lame. o_Ox Thanks for pointing it out to me though! I'll try to keep a lookout for mistakes like these next time!

Shahrezad1  
Yes, Soujirou needs a huggle. *_*x Everytime I watch his flashback scenes I want to huggle him. Hamlet the Manga? Hmmm... sounds interesting enough. XD I'll keep a lookout for it, thanks! XD (ps: i like xelloss)

April-san  
I'm always afraid I won't live up to your high expectations. o_Ox I for one don't quite think I fit in 'excellent'. I had hoped to achieve some kind of symbolism with the graves - the obvious link with the Oniwabanshuu and Aoshi was supposed to hint at Kyoto, so... yeah. :3

jbramx2  
B-b-but... Enishi/Misao?! o_Ox;; Just... gimme a day or two to get over my mind boggle first, okay? ^____^x Though now that I think about it, it /could/ happen. o_Ox I've always been more of a Enishi/Kaoru and Soujirou/Misao camper myself, though, so maybe that's why my head is still in the ground. XD But I am open to all pairings, and will take a look at that fic... soon! Hope you liked this chapter too!

Shihali  
Aaah... yes, Soujirou should have seen it coming. XD I think he really wants to get over his past, though, and that's why I dragged them through Kanagawa. ^_^x I didn't make him suffer /that/ badly, I swear!!

Silver Nightingale  
Hey... you're right! *_*x Maybe that IS why Saitou's not letting them go!! XD Gotta write that in somehow... thanks for the idea. MUAHAHAH!!

blue eyes  
Is one day fast enough for you??! XD Hope you liked this chapter too!

EK  
I'm honoured! *_*x Ooh, a trend-starter. XD I love trend-starters. I'm still boggling at the pairing, but it sounds plausible. Thanks for the vouch of confidence! XD


	14. 13: Simmering Tides

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 13: Simmering Tides

  
"ATCHOO!"

Soujirou and Enishi sat side by side along the wooden chairs of a roadside store wedged between a hill and the impending forest.

"Are you all right, Yukishiro-san?" Soujirou turned towards his friend.

"Shut up," Enishi rubbed his nose and sniffed, "this is all your fault." He took the steaming cup of tea beside him and drank it to its dredges.

With his own cup in his hands, Soujirou made no reply. He stared at the liquid in the container, content to just watch it ripple as his hand shifted every other moment. The morning had been warm and friendly so far. He wondered briefly what new challenges would await them further in the day.

"Thank you," the words formed without him really thinking about it, "Yukishiro-san."

"Hmph," Enishi set his cup aside, "give your friends a bit more credit sometimes."

"Of course," the younger person smiled.

"We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," the white-haired man's look was distant.

"And we can't keep dwelling in the past!" Soujirou agreed cheerfully, raising his cup in a mock toast before downing it in one gulp. "Aaah... mornings after rain are the best!"

As if on cue, Enishi sneezed again.

"You're paying for tea," he growled after he composed himself, glaring at his amused partner from the corner of his eyes. "This is all your fault," he repeated.

"But Yukishiro-san..." Soujirou blinked, "... we're almost out of money already... how much more tea are you going to get?"

"As much as it'll take to stop this confounded cold," was the immediate reply, completely missing the point about them being penniless. He was about to say something else when his eyes appeared to have found a new target. Noticing the change, Soujirou turned to look in the same direction Enishi was looking at.

It was Kenji, and he stood before the two wanderers with a curled and tucked stable whip over his shoulder, face unapproachable. In his other hand, he held a bridle secured to two impatient stallions behind him. One of the creatures tossed its hair and stamped its front legs on the ground in an action which indicated that it did not like the pause. A small, roofless carriage made of wood trailed the sturdy horses, and a large box of sorts was fastened to a corner of the carriage with a few tight ropes.

Although Soujirou opened his mouth several times, he was unable to ask about the scene. "Himura-san," he decided to inquire about something he was familiar with, "I thought you were going to the nearest village to ask about routes?"

"Kidnap some horses while you're at it, very professional," Enishi sipped his tea nonchalantly. The youngest of the trio bristled and resisted the urge to throw the whip in Enishi's face.

"This is just a sideline that'll keep us busy until we get to Kyoto," the young boy was saying, as he tossed a bag which clinkered towards his two companions. Soujirou caught it and stared questioningly at the boy. "I found someone in the marketplace asking if we could deliver this box of gimmicks to Kyoto for the amount in the bag." Kenji explained.

"And you agreed?" An incredulous Enishi boggled, then shook his head. "I thought you had more brains than to do something as dangerous as that."

This time, Kenji did throw the whip into Enishi's face. "It's /not/ like he gave me any room for objection!" The boy fumed. "I was asking around for routes to Kyoto which didn't involve going through major civilizations, and then the next thing I knew, I had all these things in my hands." The exasperated expression on his face told a tale of silent torture. "That man then appeared from nowhere and said he needed someone to bring the box to Kyoto inconspicuously," the boy sighed. "After he shoved the bag of clinkers to me, he scooted off and..." he closed his eyes, "... here I am..."

His two companions were relatively unimpressed at the tale.

"You need to learn to fib better than that," Enishi had removed the whip from his face and let it fall into a heap before his feet, completely unaffected. "Although I still don't see why you kidnapped the horses for..."

"Yukishiro-san," Soujirou's smile was beginning to look forced, "who /just/ told me to give my friends a bit more credit?" Turning back to Kenji, he continued, "That was a strange person you met there, Himura-san. What did he look like? Did he say anything else?"

"Was about your height," the boy gestured towards the smiling wanderer, "had a straw hat with a black veil all around it, so I couldn't really tell what he looked like. He wore some pretty normal looking farmer clothes, though, and had this really large basket on his back."

"What an elaborate set up," Enishi commented, "pity it'll only make him stand out among all the other people."

Ignoring the white-haired man, Kenji carried on, "He said, and I quote, 'That bag will see you through your trip to Kyoto. I'll look for you when you get there~', and got himself lost in the crowd." Putting a hand on his forehead, the young boy mumbled, "I couldn't find him again after that. Since we /are/ going to Kyoto, might as well do him the favour. Of course I know it's dangerous, that's why I'm discussing it with you guys, isn't it?"

"We're not doing it," Enishi's reply was immediate, and firm. There was a nervous glint in Kenji's eyes after he heard the statement, which did not escape Soujirou's notice. He was about to protest, but held back to think about something.

"What are you hiding from us, Himura-san?" His smile had simmered and he stared seriously at the youngest of the trio, who quickly looked away. "You wouldn't have accepted any kind of offer from a complete stranger if there wasn't something more to the story."

Kenji's eyes began to roam left and right, from one rock on the ground to another. When the silence stretched, he frowned and finally said, "He knew."

The aura around his two companions grew questioning.

"He knew who I was," Kenji bit his lower lip, "he addressed me as Himura Kenji."

There was silence.

"Don't tell me..." Soujirou grimaced, with a hand on his chin. Quickly, he looked up, straight into Kenji's eyes. "Himura-san! Are you sure it was a /man/ of my height who talked to you?"

Shaken slightly by the sudden vehemence, the boy nodded dumbly.

"Very very sure?" The blue-clad wanderer pressed on, surprising even his older companion seated beside him. "It was a man, and not a man who spoke and behaved like a woman?"

At this, recognition flickered over Enishi's face, and he too turned to stare expectantly at Kenji, awaiting his answer.

"I don't know, Soujirou," Kenji had an eyebrow raised in sheer confusion, "he spoke and behaved like a man to me..."

Blinking, Soujirou broke eye contact and looked away, covering his mouth with his hand pensively. "... I must be thinking too much... ?"

"What's wrong?" Kenji asked reflexively.

"Just wondering if it could be an acquaintance of ours," Enishi replied. "Maybe not," he added, after a while. "But if he knew your name..."

"I think it's highly possible that Saitou sent him."

Both Soujirou and Enishi turned to look at Kenji after he made the statement, then to look at each other. "There's only one way to find out, Himura-san," Soujirou eventually said while nodding towards the small bag Kenji had thrown to him, in his hands. Kenji thought he could hear the wanderer gulp.

While Soujirou slowly loosened the string around the neck of the bag, Enishi huddled nearby and glanced over his shoulder. Both peered apprehensively at the contents. Kenji was curious, but thought the better of joining the crowd. They would probably be head-bumping instead of investigating what was in the bag. Wisely, he stood where he was and awaited the conclusion.

A crow shrieked.

"You know," Soujirou was still looking in the bag, face set in tight consideration, "if Saitou-san paid us half of what was in this bag everytime he sends us on our way..."

"..." was Enishi's enigmatic addition.

"And come to think of it," Soujirou put a finger on his lower lip and stared at the skies, "he hasn't paid us for our Tokyo stint yet either! AAH!" Soujirou shot to full height quickly, hands curled into fists. "No wonder we're having budget deficits!"

The cup he had in his hands rolled off and hit the ground with a fantastic shattering sound.

"That one's gonna cost," Kenji observed.

"Oops!" Soujirou beamed brightly.

He was promptly beaten up.

  
------------------------------------------

  
"And anyway," it was Soujirou again, now with small strips of plaster decorating his cheerful face. He had mounted the driver's seat of the carriage and had the bridle in his hands, ready to start the stallions off, "that's how we knew that the person wasn't sent by Saitou-san, Himura-san!"

"He wouldn't have paid us so much if the future of Japan depended on it," Enishi snorted. He rested comfortably against the secured wooden box with his hands poised leisurely over his head as a pillow stand-in. "And we wouldn't have needed to do this job at all if /somebody/ hadn't forced us to use the money in the bag to repay the shopkeeper for his broken cup," the man stared at Soujirou's squirming form at the front of the carriage.

"I'm really sorry about that, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou turned around slightly and grinned, pointing at a particularly nasty bump on his head, "but you guys have beaten me up enough, haven't you? Let me off already, please?"

In response Enishi just looked away. Kenji then held out the piece of paper he had been inspecting to Soujirou. "Soujirou, I found this buried under the pile of money in the bag."

"Hm..." Soujirou looked thoughtfully at what Kenji was holding out. There was a tidy-looking cross with squares at each intersection, a circle encompassing it all. At side of one particular extended path, there was a star marked outside the circumference of the large circle. "... doesn't make sense to me," he smiled, genuinely puzzled.

"So it's just a random sketch then?" Kenji bit his lips. "I'm pretty sure it must contain something important."

"Maybe, maybe not," Soujirou stole a glance at Enishi, noticing that he had closed his eyes and was not paying any attention to the conversation. "Well, shall we be on our way, Himura-san?" He asked the young boy happily while raising the whip.

Kenji nodded. As soon as he did, a loud neigh punctuated the fresh morning air, and a few strong gallops later, the horses and their carriage, along with the people inside, were on their way.

As the scenary whizzed past them in a blur, Kenji noticed that Soujirou seemed to know his way around like the back of his palm. "Do you know how to get there without going past crowded places?" He shouted, trying to fight against the loud winds beating against their ears. After all, that was what he had been going around town asking about.

"With a horse, it wouldn't matter, Himura-san," Soujirou's voice drifted easily to Kenji, "we'll just rush as quickly as we can through the villages, and nobody will notice or care!"

"How long more to Kyoto, then?" The boy could not help asking.

"I'd say give it a day or two, Himura-san," Soujirou nodded as he replied. "Don't worry, just take it as an excursion, and time will pass in the twinkling of an eye!"

  
------------------------------------------

  
Kenji admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed the ride on the carriage. They stopped every now and then to freshen up the horses and to rest a little themselves, always finding a nearby stream of cool, welcoming water and a field of rich pastures. The horses they were given were strong and full of stamina, ever ready to move out and thunder their way through small villages or larger cities. The skies began to look dangerously dark near evening, but the clouds slowly got left behind as they moved out of the region.

When the sun completely vanished over the horizon, they were already near the western borders of Gifu. The trio dismounted and managed to sustain a small fire in a clearing in a nearby forest. Dinner consisted of rice balls Kenji had ran off during one of their breaks to grab from a nearby village. It was sparse, but no one complained.

Eventually, Soujirou broke the silence. "We should get to Kyoto by early afternoon tomorrow, at this rate," he smiled at nothing in particular, "those horses can really gallop!"

"You seem pretty sure that we aren't in some sort of a trap by the enemy," Enishi retorted. He was leaning against a tree, hooded by shadows.

"Yes," Soujirou readily agreed, "call it gut instinct!"

"Hmph," the stoic man waved a hand, "I'm not going to pull you out of trouble this time."

His darker-haired counterpart smiled in his general direction. "Of course not, Yukishiro-san."

"It could turn out to be a good thing, whether that man I met in the marketplace was hostile or not," Kenji interrupted, "if he was hostile, we'll just be luring the enemies to ourselves. Good chance to take care of them before Saitou the cop breathes down our neck again. If he wasn't, well, then we got for ourselves a pretty big reward for something so simple. No?" He looked around at his companions.

"You may be right, Himura-san," Soujirou nodded. Enishi merely kept his peace. "Yukishiro-san, are you going to stay up late to ponder dark, evil thoughts again?" There was a pause. "Because if you are, would you mind taking first watch? I'm very tired from driving the two stallions around." The blue-clad wanderer's smile was brighter than the flames of the campfire. For his part, Enishi grunted something which sounded vaguely positive. "Thank you!" Soujirou beamed.

"I wonder what's in that box?" Kenji pondered aloud.

"Bottles of wine," Enishi's reply was faster than Soujirou could say i-don't-know. "I heard them knock against each other when I was resting near the box just now."

"Hmm... that's strange," it was Soujirou, and he had a wondering look on his face, "why would anyone want to get a box of wine bottles into Kyoto via a sub-route?"

A brooding quietness dwelled on the trio for a while.

"We'll find out tomorrow," the gruff, knowing voice of Enishi eventually said, "I'm sure."

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
25/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
Aaaaaaaaaahhh slow moving chapter to shake the angst off me. More action to come, I hope! *_*x

I concede to everybody and anybody who thinks the previous chapter was sweet. *grovels* I guess that would include jbramx2, Firuze Khanume, April-san and... sasori? And just to omake, I argued with myself until 4am (it be true!) before finally writing that out... my beauty sleep!! WAAH!

  
jbramx2  
I'm afraid I don't know of any sou/misao fics that are completed either... or maybe I haven't been paying enough attention (the rk section on ff:net is 85% k/k, after all XD). I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far! *_*x I will work hard! Dynamic prose is not my forte - I prefer action! XD

Firuze Khanume  
ALMIGHTY AUTHOR'S REALM!! I don't know what else to say. XD Yeah, I've found a new excuse for loopholes in plot, besides creative license. XD

April-san  
m(_ _)m Katajikenai! *hands a tissue for the soda-ed dictionary O_Ox* It /would/ be weird if Enishi said that. I think Soujirou would have laughed in his face. XD And yes, of course I know who your favourite pairing is. It was kind of like the first thing I saw when I clicked on your profile page. XD

Tanuki-dono, Silver Nightingale  
Aah, I'm looking forward to Kyoto as much as you gals (guys?) are! :D

Shahrezad1  
I agree with what you say, in that if Soujirou or Enishi will eventually get around to talking with Kenji about Kenshin, they would probably beat around the bush first. Not that they're considerate or anything, but it just seems in their character to do such a thing. I think the term is 'testing waters'? XD

sasori  
o_Ox Stay! Stay on the path!! *clings onto sasori quickly* Don't go... until you please please please please tell me if you're working on that continuation to "Over the Sting"? *puppy eyes* I need a glimmer of hope!! *sob*


	15. 14: Bridging Trusts

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 14: Bridging Trusts

  
The sun had not yet risen to its full glory before Enishi's grip on his sword began to tighten.

Soujirou, still manning the horses and guiding them down the dirt path, glanced back questioningly at his companion. Kenji, too, noticed the movement and blinked, tensing himself.

"Experts on our tail," was all Enishi mumbled, his narrowed eyes darting left to right. Slowly, his hand reached for the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"Now, now, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou's bright and perky voice stopped him. "We're not going to be able to do anything very productive on a moving carriage."

Almost as soon as he finished that statement, a loud rumbling sound caused all three to snap to attention at what was about to befall them. A pile of tumbling logs dove at them after being dis-anchored from their original hiding place on an overhanging branch just up front, with tremendous speed, and it took all of Soujirou's strength and tact to rein the horses back from charging into doom, guiding them instead down the next available side-path into the shrubbery.

Panicked, the stallions began to leap and hop over anything and everything in the way. The side-path, though obscure, was rather well-walked on and posed no major problem to the carriage and their passengers, besides the occasional obligatory bump. Several shadows began flickering by the sides of the vehicle, indicating that their pursuers were beginning to make their presence known.

"I'm going to try to shake them off," Soujirou said, still smiling. He was no longer seated, though. "So don't try anything funny yet, guys."

The road immediately ahead forked into three sub-paths, and Soujirou took the left. Kenji semi-guessed that it was because of the large and thick trees situated by each side of that path which would make trailing a carriage from beside it dangerous and awkward. The shadows did cease after a while, but as soon as the carriage broke free from the throng of trees, they returned with added vigour. Soujirou actually appeared to be enjoying himself, swerving in all the possible directions he could to evade being caught up with. All Kenji could do was to grab onto the sides of the carriage and hope very hard that he didn't get tossed out when the wheel hit the next large stone.

"Having fun yet?" Enishi's monotonous question could be heard over the noisy roar of wooden wheels on gravel. As wild as the ride was getting, the expression on Enishi's face told a tale of a leisurely picnic stroll, and not a deadly hit-and-run carriage chase. He was even yawning, Kenji noticed with abrupt displeasure.

"Haven't had so much fun in years!" The Tenken replied, with a goofy smile on his face. He reared the horses up so that they neighed with a triumphant sounding tone, before stomping their fore legs onto the ground, forming a lethal cloud of dust. Immediately they were off at top-speed again, sliding through the forest like they were water slipping through cracks. The light began to get progressively brighter as they traversed the terrain, even as the shadows previously hot on their tails began to pull further and further away.

Finally, with a great fanfare, the horses broke through the boundary of the forest and trudged out onto a wide, grassy clearing.

There was just one problem.

The clearing ended in a sheer drop.

"Hmmm..." Soujirou frowned, guiding the horses slowly towards the cliff's edge, peering down at it.

"Soujirou, there's a bridge there," Kenji pointed further down the large crevasse. True to his words, there was a long, almost invisible bridge stretching across both canyons, swaying gently in the undercurrent breeze. The carriage was driven there immediately, for they had not a moment to lose.

When they looked at the bridge from a close distance, however, it did not look as hopeful as it initially appeared to be.

"This filmsy little thing wouldn't hold the weight of two horses and a carriage," Enishi made his commentary with his arms on his waist in a disapproving manner. He had gotten off the carriage and was currently eyeing said bridge with irritation.

"It can fit one person at a time?" Kenji suggested.

"Our pursuers are catching up, Himura-san," Soujirou said while unbuckling the reins and bridles from the horses, who tossed their heads around while stamping their hooves edgily. "They'll definitely catch us if we try to cross it, and by simply slicing the ropes off, they can send us plummeting to a grisly death." His lips pursed slightly.

In reaffirmation, voices drifted through the winds into their ears, reminding them that the people who were after them were closing in fast.

"No way the horses can jump this gorge with a carriage in tow, either," it was Enishi this time, and he hacked at the ropes which fastened the box to the carriage until they were no more. Lifting the box with a single hand, he continued, "so we'll need a distraction."

Kenji had a strange sense of deja vu.

"Himura-san!" Soujirou chirped in his overly cheerful voice again, clasping his hand dramatically together. "Can you PLEASE be the distraction again??"

"If it involves drawing another damned scar on my face," the boy snarled, smoke literally hooting out from his ears, "you can forget about it!" 

"Oh no, don't worry about having more scars on your face," Soujirou shook his head. "Just be a good boy and run as fast as you can across the bridge, see?" He pointed at the creaking bridge, just to be sure Kenji knew what he was talking about. "And once you get to the other side, be a good boy again and pull the pins holding the ropes of the bridge out, then toss them into the ravine and run as quickly as you can into the forest on the other side and hide yourself?"

The information was disseminated too fast in too short a period of time, causing Kenji's head to swirl slightly. In the split second that he finished processing the instructions, though, he saw a loophole in the theory and quickly asked, "What about you guys?"

Soujirou held his shinai against his shoulder and flashed a daft looking smile. In his other hand he held reined the two stallions, now free of their burden. "We're going to stay behind and do some cleaning up."

As the boy blinked, Enishi shoved the wooden box into his hands, making him balk slightly. The weight proved to be nothing as soon as he regained his balance, however, and he was reduced to staring blankly at it. "So I'm supposed to take this thing, run across the bridge, find a way to collapse the bridge, and then go into hiding?" He repeated what he thought he had heard.

"Indeed you are," Enishi cocked an eyebrow.

"..." Kenji's lips pursed quizzically. "... they may have guns." He pointed out.

"Ah yes," the happy voice of Soujirou once again penetrated the sullen air, "while that may be true, Himura-san, we have absolute confidence that you will make sure none of the bullets will even graze a loose thread." He laughed in a way that made Kenji unable to believe him. Without turning around to look at the boy, he went on, "Trust us, Himura-san. Even if just this once. We'll join you in no time."

"They're coming," Enishi helpfully informed, lazily pointing at the rather large group of black-clad ninjas who were now clearly within sight and sound.

"Himura-san, we don't have a moment to lose," this time, Soujirou did turn around. And he was not smiling. "Just this once, I beg you! Trust us!"

It wasn't that Kenji didn't trust them. He was just too concerned about what they were going to do after everything was over to really want to leave his two companions on one side of a crevasse without giving them a way to retreat. Clamping his mouth shut, however, he turned quickly and approached the filmsy looking bridge as fast as he could, box in hand.

Sometimes, trust involved hearing the reasons for certain undesirable actions - after they had occurred.

"You'd better make good your word!" He found time to turn around and shout at the duo, now poised and ready. Soujirou had that infernal smile of easy confidence back on his face - and that usually did not bode well for his opponents. As for Enishi, his sword was already out of its sheath, and that did not spell a good day for whoever he was facing either. Kenji's footsteps began to fade as he slowly departed the scene. Just as Soujirou returned his attention to the front, he saw that their pursuers were now within a good attacking distance, and that they certainly looked menacing enough to strike.

"Good day, gentlemen," the boyish wanderer nodded. "Is it right for me to conclude that you are not here to talk?"

Most of the men facing them drew their weapons in an instance.

"Well then," Soujirou held his own weapon out, "shall we begin?"

He did not wait for an answer, bringing the bamboo sword down against the backsides of the two horses he was reining to send them into a frenzy. Releasing the bridle in his hands, the stallions began to charge towards the only path they could take flight down - and in their passage, brought down several of the men standing in their way.

Or at least, that was what Kenji thought he saw was happening before the first bullet whizzed dangerously past his left ear. He was still set in running momentum, however, and so barely managed to shave away from the next bullet, aimed at where he would have run into if he hadn't pulled the brakes in time. An intuition called for him to duck, which when he did, sent two more bullet zipping over his head, taking a few strands of astray hair along with it. /Oh cruds,/ was all the boy could think as he braced himself, and dashed down the bridge towards his unknown destination - faster than he had ever known he was able to run.

The armed man found himself only able to get three more shots in - all of which hit the wooden planks of the bridge instead of their intended target - before feeling an intense pain burst from his right elbow, forcing him to drop the weapon and clutch onto his now numb arm with despair. Another strike had hit him against his knee and that pretty much disabled him for a long time to come. It had taken all but a few seconds after the horses had charged down the lane, and victory was already clearly in sight.

"Not good enough," Soujirou flitted out from being a blur to stand in front of the gasping men. He still had a foot raised as a precaution, in case someone should lash out suddenly. "Now, are you perhaps more in the mood to tell me more about yourself?"

"Who the hell are these guys?" There was already a murmuring that arose within the crowd of fallen men. "They're not humans!"

"No?" Soujirou smiled, realizing he was not getting an answer. "How about I throw you some questions and you answer me? Like say, how are you related to the Yuugure?"

After they had turned to eye each other questioningly, a larger man to the left replied, "We don't know what you're talking about, mercenary. Are you going to hand the box over or not?" He sneered, none too amiably. In his right hand, hidden beneath his sleeve, he loosened the small gun he had tucked. "We know you're transporting top-secret government documents to Kyoto! Now hand them over before you get hurt!"

"Top-secret government documents?" This time, it was Soujirou's turn to offer his audience an inquisitive look. He then smiled vibrantly. "I see! I see! So that's what this is all about!" And as if that was not enough, the boy laughed merrily.

Thinking this to be his break, the large man whipped out his gun and positioned it to shoot at the laughing wanderer, in the blink of an eye. However, he did not know that there were some things faster than the blink of an eye, and even before he could touch the trigger, he felt a looming presence behind him, holding a threatening edge against his neck.

"Try moving," Enishi suggested, "you'll love what's going to happen to you if you do." He pressed his blade closer. "Oh, and drop that gun while you're at it, hm? Don't anyone else of you dare move, either!" Raising his voice for the last statement, the man sternly swept his gaze around the others, some of whom cowered and others of whom were about to protest, but seeing that he had one of them held hostage, decided against it.

"I would listen to him if I were you," Soujirou walked around the people, who were quite unable to get up anyway due to certain injuries at vital areas. He deliberately and carefully kicked all disarmed and abandoned weapons into the chasm. "Because unlike my sword, his sword actually has a lethal edge to it!"

"You're too late!" One of them shouted. "We've sent a few people to go after that boy you gave the box to already!"

Soujirou and Enishi exchanged knowing glances.

"Well, all the best to them," Soujirou beamed, kicking the last of the visible weapons down into the gully, where they would never see another day again. At that very moment, a few aggrieved shrieks surged through the air, followed by the whistling sound of broken ropes and falling debris, ending in a crescendo of a massive bump of wood against cliff. The men stared in horror at the crevasse.

The bridge was no more.

Standing over the pins of the bridge, which he had undoubtedly unfastened the ropes from, Kenji surveyed his handiwork with an even face. Noticing that he was under observation, the boy glanced briefly up to acknowledge the men, before quickly turning tail and vanishing into the thick foliage behind him. Soujirou walked slowly over the edge of the cliff and glanced towards its side, noticing that while one side of the bridge had toppled due to Kenji's interference, the other side was still holding on quite well, and the entire length of wood was dangling freely in the air against the sheer drop. Clutched desperately onto anything that was strong enough to hold them until help arrived, the three men in the same black uniform as their pursuers looked down at the pitch-darkness which would greet them them should they let go, gulping so hard, the blue-clad wanderer could almost hear them.

"All right," Soujirou spun around and addressed the crowd with another cordial smile, "sad to say, my friends, we do not know of these documents you speak of. Perhaps you should try your chance elsewhere - we are in a rush, you see, to meet up with someone in Kyoto."

"We've been following you since that government dog handed the goods to you," another man growled, "don't play dumb!"

Soujirou had already began hopping on his feet. "Hm..." he was still smiling, although there was an impatient edge to his tone. "... I'm really sorry, but we really don't have time for this. Yukishiro-san!" He signalled slightly. The man lowered his weapon from his intended target and started on a dash towards the the cliff.

He vanished almost as soon as it looked like he was going to run straight into the valley, but when he appeared again a while later on the /other/ side of the canyon, the men were bug-eyed with disbelief. Soujirou, still hopping, only turned slightly to bow, before vanishing completely - then reappearing on the other side of the crevasse as well, beside the white-haired man. They then strolled leisurely into the forests beyond, not bothering to look back even once.

There was silence thereafter. Not too many of the men were able to believe what had just transpired. It had, after all, happened in the span of just a few minutes. It was practically like a dream that never happened.

"Oh my, oh my," a low, husky voice brought the men's attention back into the present. "What a sight we've got here!"

It was the same farmer Kenji had been approached by in the marketplace. He still wore the same get up, although he now had in tow a large scythe which gleamed against the glare of the late morning sun. The ease of which he swung the deadly weapon around in did not amuse the injured men very much, and some of them were already struggling to get up and flee.

"Called me a dog of the government, didn't you?" The voice became sly. The large blade of the scythe was moved easily across a nearby tree, the large trunk giving way and collapsing with a sickening crack. The person then held the scythe primed.

"I'll show you what this dog can do."

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
28/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
Hmmm... forgive me if the action here seems strange - it's just in the middle of it all I realized Soujirou AND Enishi are too, TOO strong for a group of random bandits. -_-x *note to self - throw stronger opponents at them next time!* *note to self again - do not write fanfics when having hallucinations from fever* Kyoto by the next chapter! m(_ _)m Thank you for staying with me!

  
jbramx2  
I'm so glad I'm still keeping people intrigued. XD Hope this chapter well, didn't ruin the intrigue too much. o.Ox

Shahrezad1  
That's an interesting thought, Shah, but actually, the pretext of this fanfic was based on the Seisouhen (which I think I mentioned in the prologue), in which Kenshin was *ahem* rather abruptly killed off by the directors of the show so, well, Kenshin won't be appearing unless in flashbacks! O.Ox

Tanuki-dono  
Aaah, a rocket on my back. XD I only wish. XD But as a writer, I think you understand how when inspiration comes, you just can't stop writing? XD

Zeromaru: Chaos Mode  
Interesting name, that. O.Ox Shukuchi! Yeah! I wanna see it too! XD Will try to incorporate it somehow... thanks for the review!

EK  
Really glad you find the fic acceptable!! :D


	16. 15: Arrival

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 15: Arrival

  
"You WHAT?!"

"Jumped, Himura-san," the perky wanderer strolled casually along the young redhead, "we jumped across the crevasse, and here we are!"

Deciding that it would prove nonsensical to ask about the actual mechanics of /how/ one could leap across a ravine that was further apart than the proverbial stone's throw, Kenji returned his attention to the road and mused silently.

"Aww, come on," Soujirou, sensing Kenji's disbelief, quipped, "it's not that hard, Himura-san. You can do it too, if you tried!"

"May I never have to," Kenji quickly interjected, adjusting the weight of the box in his hands. "Does this mean that we go on the rest of the trip on foot, then?"

A small bout of silence ensued.

"Yes," Enishi deadpanned, "unfortunately."

Kenji groaned, although it was barely audible. Soujirou just smiled and kept walking.

The sun rose mercilessly over them.

  
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The trio managed to stay out of trouble throughout the entire Shiga prefecture. It was late afternoon by the time they arrived on the outskirts of Kyoto, yet the sun still hung high in the skies. Kenji put the wooden box down under the shade of a nearby tree and sighed loudly. He promptly sat down on the box and began fanning himself with his hands.

"It can never get hotter than this!" The boy grumbled.

"You obviously have not been to Okinawa," Enishi eyed him strangely.

"The sun is just taking a bit more time to set today, don't worry!" Although Soujirou's voice was still cheery, he, too, had settled down beside a large root under the same tree Kenji was fanning himself on.

Enishi, however, looked as cool as he sounded when he next asked, "So when's that guy you met in Kanagawa going to show up?"

Shrugging, the redhead replied, "He said he'd look for me."

"Hmm..." Soujirou had a lopsided smile. "... Kyoto is a rather large city by itself... How should he go about looking for you?"

"He never said, and I never asked," Kenji held his hands out whimsically.

"I don't want to hold on to this thing longer than we should," it was Enishi, and he sounded mildly cross, "we should we go into the city and look around for that farmer."

"Before that, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou gestured for Kenji to move off the box, which he did, "there's just something that's been bothering me..."

He approached the box, and without a word of warning whatsoever, ripped the nailed cover off like he had been lifting the lid off his teacup, the loud tearing sound making even Enishi jump. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" The white-haired man managed to gasp by the time the implications of what he saw sank in.

"Well the farmer didn't say we have to deliver him his goods in the same box, or for that matter, that the box should remain lidded," Soujirou smiled brightly, rummaging through the contents of the box, "let's see..." he removed a bottle of wine from its place among the padded interior and shook it, holding it close to his ears, "... sounds like liquid all right!"

"What else were you expecting it to be?" An exasperated Kenji asked.

"I don't know, secret government documents, for example!" The wanderer laughed and shuffled around in the box again. "Hmm... nothing suspicious at all, how very strange..."

"If anything's suspicious, it has to be that piece of paper in the money bag," Kenji quickly began to feel around his clothing, wondering where he last tucked that sheet of paper. "Ahah!" He made a noise when he appeared to have found it. Brandishing the folded piece of paper, he continued, "I've yet to figure out the meaning behind this text, even after staring at it for so long... have you, Soujirou?"

The busy wanderer took a few moments to turn around and shake his head negatively. He quickly returned his attention to the wine bottles, having emptied the box of them, and proceeded to inspect the interior of the box.

"Let me see," Enishi motioned, and Kenji passed him the piece of paper. He then unfolded it, took one glance at it, and his entire countenance transformed. "This... thing..." He managed to stammer. "You said you found it where?"

"In the money bag the farmer gave us," the young Himura was nonplussed at Enishi's reaction. "You know what it's about?"

"Kyoto."

"Huh?" Kenji blinked. Even Soujirou had stopped looking through the box to stare bemusedly at his partner.

"Don't you dorks know?" The man was as perplexed as they were. "Because the streets in Kyoto have mostly been built to be aligned with the four cardinal directions - among the underground, a cross with some markings beside it to indicate houses - usually refer to Kyoto."

"I'm so sorry I didn't know about underground codes," Kenji rolled his eyes, not sounding sorry at all. "So what else can you deduce from the piece of code, O Great Decoder?"

Shooting the boy a stern glance, Enishi proceeded, "The star indicates a meeting point. But..."

The pause made the chirp of the crickets hiding among the grass even louder.

"But?" Soujirou prompted, attention now entirely riveted on the older person.

"Just a few questions..." Enishi's eventually spoke out in a mulling tone, "From which middle point to start looking... from which direction to go from that point... and," he frowned, "what does a simple farmer have to do with wine bottles, government secrets and underground ciphers? Was this message supposed to be for us in the first place?"

There were already the soft clinking sounds of wine bottle against wine bottle in the midst of his asking the questions, attracting Enishi and Kenji's attention to the source of that noise.

"Why think so much?" Soujirou sounded as calm as the soothing sounds of glass bottles knocking against each other. He finished packing the last of the goods in the box and carefully replaced the lid, slowly rising to full height. "I say we just go with the flow and see where it brings us!" He grinned. "We've come so far doing just that. We can't possibly go wrong now!"

"Soujirou..." Kenji was not sure if he wanted to go along with his friend's optimistic outlook on life in general, or if he should reach over and give the darker-haired swordsman a hard yank on his ponytail.

He looked over at Enishi just in time to see the man fold the paper up and pocket it somewhere he could not see. His face remained empty of any outward show of opinions. "All right, let's move it," the man was saying, walking down the dirt path which would finally lead them into Kyoto proper, "if we start now, maybe we can figure things out by sunset."

"Yes, of course!" Soujirou hefted the box under his arm and quickly took off after the tentative leader of the pack. Watching their receding figures, Kenji afforded himself a slight smile - whatever for, he had no idea. The boy slowly sauntered towards his companions, arms crossed and stature hunched, taking in the ancient air of the city of old traditions he always felt had an attraction to.

Thus they entered the city, not realizing how close they really were to their ultimate target all the time.

  
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Near a rundown shack on the fringe of the city, a bush rustled. Slightly, at first. A while passed before the crackling sound of dried leaves against dried twigs came to fill the air, and with a loud snap a dark figure stepped into the clearing before the shack, peering around himself intently from under his veiled straw hat.

He held his scythe closer to himself and had an almost disappointed pout on his face until a dark figure hiding in the shadow of the shack moved. "I didn't know farmers nowadays needed to carry sickles /that/ big around," the sombre voice said simply.

"Ah well," the farmer stepped into the sunlight, fully revealing his form, "the weeds in the field were pretty big today. Hey, but I cleaned the blade." He slid a single gloved hand slowly across the silver steel. "Nothing you should worry about, really."

There was a long silence.

"What do you want?" The voice asked again.

"Always straight to the point, aren't you?" The farmer crooned, almost like he was baiting the other. The affable smile on his face dissolved, however, when he carried on. "I think it is unfair for you to keep such important information from us."

The shadowy figure made a noise. "I will do whatever I deem fit with my information."

It was obvious that the farmer was frowning, even when most of his face was made invisible by the veil. "We're talking about the fate of an entire nation versus your prejudice against a single man," his voice was laced with deep feelings of incomprehension, "you selfish bugger."

There was a sound, and the mysterious man pushed himself away from leaning against the wooden hut. "Prejudice," he said, almost in a mumble, "is a wrong word. This is just precaution on my side. While you say 'one man' like he was insignificant to the outworking of events," he breathed, "one man... one man will be all it takes to bring down the work of the nation you say you are trying to protect."

The man had started down a trail into the protective cover of the forest even as he spoke. "People," he stopped, however, when the other, the one in farmer-wear stated, "people change..." There was a sigh. "I've changed. You've changed. What makes you think he hasn't?"

"You can't be sure," was the stoic reply.

The farmer scoffed, jiggling his large scythe around slightly. "Well at least now I know one thing's never changed.

"You're still as cold as I last remembered you were."

Sounds of rustling grass told the dark-clad farmer that the man had already resumed his trudge down the grass. "Now if you'll excuse me. There's something I need to find out..."

"Find out?" Adjusting his hat slightly, the farmer watched the retreating figure until it completely disappeared behind the foliage. For a moment he contemplated what the other person could have possibly meant. Soon, he started down his own passage towards an unknown destination, leaving the shack as lonely and reserved as it had been since times past.

A short while, and the crickets began their tune of chirping again.

It was like no one had ever stepped foot in the clearing before.

  
------------------------------------------

  
"Hmm... this city is really packed for a hot afternoon," Soujirou commented as he ambled his way through two larger men in front of him in a feeble attempt to remain within sight of his two companions.

"Looks like they're all rushing towards the same place or something," Kenji further observed when two shrieking teenagers ran past him and disappeared around the same corner a horde of people were going towards, almost knocking the smaller boy down in the event. "Some festival?" He blinked.

"You are half correct, Himura Kenji," a new voice answered. All three stopped short in their step and whipped around with amazing consistency to find themselves staring at a smiling face. "The newly opened tavern just around the corner is having drinks on the house for the opening night. Everybody wants a piece of the pie! So while it's no festival, the people of Kyoto are pretty much in a festive mood!"

"Kamatari-san!!" Soujirou alone was overjoyed. He wrestled against the crowd and went up to his old comrade. "I knew it! It really was you!"

"Sou-chan!" Kamatari held both hands out and instantly tackled the approaching wanderer. "It's been such a long time! How have you been? I missed you so... AAH!" He screamed, causing more than one head to turn in his direction. Lifting his hand up from where he had glomped the poor traveller, his eyes reflected that of a grieved animal. "Blood!" He shrieked again, grabbing Soujirou by his shoulders. "What happened?! Who did this?"

"Uhm... Kamatari-san..." Soujirou tried to pry his hands off, not relishing having bloodied handprints on his shoulders. "... should we like move somewhere quieter? We're attracting quite a bit of attention here..."

The petite warrior turned around and saw that the statement was true - for practically all the passers-by slowed down as they approached the ragtag gang of four, taking care to whisper quietly into each other's ear their conclusion of the matter in sight. "All right." He mouthed.

A few turns later, they found themselves at a relatively silent back alley, comfortably shaded from the scorching afternoon sun.

"Okay," Kamatari stared sternly at Soujirou, "now you can explain."

"Easy there, Kamatari-san..." the smiley face grinned. "First things first, this is just an old wound which you have unknowingly reopened. Don't worry! It's not that big a deal now. Nothing I can't handle." He nodded. "Just so you know, I got this injury when we were sneaking around the Tokyo Yuugure Headquarters. Real fun, that was!" He laughed.

"Still on the Yuugure mission, I see," Kamatari sighed. "Does Saitou never know when to give his men a break? He must have mobilized his entire pool of underground contacts for this job."

"Takes a thief can catch a thief," Enishi shrugged from his position beside the wall, "you still owe us an explanation for this," he reminded the scythe-wielder, tapping the wooden box in his arms.

The police spy afforded Enishi a cursory glance. "Oh, that!" His face lit up. "Well what can I say? I knew you guys were the right people for the job," the voice turned sly, "I couldn't have possibly handed such delicate and important information to anybody else."

"So it really is classified information," the white-haired man snorted, "you could've gotten us killed. At least warn us beforehand next time."

"Next time?" Kenji raised an eyebrow.

"You know me so very well, Enishi," Kamatari giggled, putting a hand over his mouth.

"I know you enough not to ask you to stop giving us dangerous things to do."

"Does everybody who work for Saitou behave like Saitou?" The young Himura pondered aloud. He was instantly caught in a headlock.

"What!? I heard that, boy!" Kamatari tightened his hold. "You said I behaved like that inhuman werewolf?! Wipe your eyes clean and look again! How dare you put me in the same category as that poison puffer! You shall suffer for that statement!!"

While Kenji's face turned various shades of interesting colours, Soujirou began to attempt to placate the fuming spy. "Now, now, Kamatari-san... you shouldn't take his words to heart... I'm sure he meant no harm... uhm... Kamatari-san, he's going to suffocate at this rate... Kamatari-san??"

There was a loud crashing sound. Kamatari had finally let go. "Watch your words next time, rookie!" He warned. All Kenji could do in response was to gack for air.

"Where exactly did you hide the documents?" Soujirou asked immediately after Kamatari had spoken his piece, hoping to draw the person's attention away. "I looked through the box... couldn't find anything..."

"Aah," Kamatari put a finger against his lips and winked, "that is a trade secret!"

Enishi snorted. "He must have put them in the bottles, where else?"

"The bottles?" Soujirou tilted his head slightly in confusion. "But they contained liquid. Wouldn't the papers be ruined?"

"It's just a trick," the white-haired man removed the wooden lid and took a bottle out, shaking it slightly so that everybody could see the liquid sliding up and down against the glass, "in actuality, the water is only contained in the hollow space inside of the glass itself, whereas the inside of the /bottle/ is nothing but air."

Like a magician, he uncorked the wine bottle, overturned it, and withdrew a piece of roughened paper from the interior. Visibly, there was still water in the bottle - yet even when upturned and uncovered, not a single drop of liquid escaped from the mouth of the bottle.

"Brilliant," Kamatari smiled wistfully, "though, I would have expected nothing less from an underground mafia boss himself."

Kenji sat up from trying to catch his breath while crouched on the ground, attention roused by the current conversation.

"Formerly from the mafia," the older wanderer quickly amended while stuffing the piece of paper back into the bottle and corking it. He replaced it in the box and slammed the cover over, holding it out for the spy, "all right, take this, and we've got nothing to do with each other now."

After glancing briefly at the box, Kamatari gladly relieved Enishi of the burden. "Well, boys," he said before any of them could turn tail and flee, "interested in joining me for a little while more? There are some things in Kyoto that I must show you before you run along!"

"I don't see the need," Enishi scoffed slightly, turning around. He started to walk away.

"I'm sorry, Kamatari-san," Soujirou bowed, slightly apologetic, "I'll catch up with you some other time! You haven't finished telling me what happened in that American female boarding school you went to last year yet!" He grinned cheerfully. Kenji had somehow managed to pick himself off the floor, and, offering Kamatari a semi-suspicious, semi-fearful glance, prepared to follow his two companions.

"Not even if I bring instructions from Saitou?"

It was like a cold wind had frozen all of them in a picture perfect scene of immobility. Slowly, the trio turned around to regard the spy cautiously.

Kamatari simply smiled.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
29/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
One mysterious man unveiled, another mysterious man appears!! Kamatari hasn't gone back to... well, embracing his manly origins. He's just in disguise, and what better disguise to don than one that is an entire disparage of your original appearance?!

  
Silver Nightingale  
Absolutely! :D I couldn't leave Kamatari out anymore!! (he wasn't supposed to make an appearance until the end of this chapter. bah, but when characters start moving on their own, they are unstoppable!) Well but I wrote another mysterious man in. :D Hope you have fun with him. XD

sasori  
Evil. *_*x Eeeeeeeeevil! What plot churn do you need?? I HELP!! T_Tx

Zeromaru: Chaos Mode  
As soon as Soujirou comes in contact with a real sword, I guess he'll deal out some serious damage! XD

C.M Aeries Queen of Insanity  
The stick man?? O_Ox W-Who's that?? Am glad you like the story, though! ^_^x

CurlsofSerenity  
No, of course not!! *_*x Kenji is The Hero! The Protagonist! The Good Guy! How can he ever get fatally wounded??! XD XD XD It's against anime laws! XD

EEevee  
I hope you slept well. o_Ox;; There's no need to lose sleep over a fanfic! XD And yes, no K/K!! MUAHAHA!! *gets beaten up* Looks like Kenji isn't too popular with the fans. XD All right! I have a new task to achieve with this fic now! *strikes pose*


	17. 16: Kyoto Tourney

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 16: Kyoto Tourney

  
"Don't pull such a long face!" Kamatari was telling Enishi as he led them down a crowded alley. "I'm not going to feed you to crocodiles!"

"I would rather you do that," Enishi was one sentence short of rolling his eyes, "than keep us in the dark about your agenda." Behind him, Soujirou laughed nervously. Even Kenji was beginning to get goosebumps. These people were scaring him.

"Hmph," the spy put on an offended expression, "meaaaaaaaaaanie! Sou-chan, I don't see how you can hang out with a pot of cactus like this for so many years and not feel anything!" He complained loudly to the wincing Soujirou.

"I-Is that so? Ahahahaha!" The wanderer was at a loss of words. "Maybe I'm shock-absorbant?"

Trailing slightly behind, Kenji tried to hide his face somewhere nobody could see. Another couple of strangers dashed past him with loud squee's, reminding him of the encounter just slightly earlier that day when they had just arrived at the city. At the remembrance, his head jolted upright and he began to pay more heed to the surroundings. In an instance he could see that they were heading where everyone else was also headed. "Hey," he spoke out loud, "are you bringing us to that newly opened tavern you were talking about?"

Kamatari turned around and smiled. "You can tell, boy? Very perceptive!"

"Well, it's kindda obvious we're going where the crowd's going..." Kenji gestured around him. "I don't suppose you mind telling us why?"

"Just because you're such a smart young man," the spy giggled, "I'll let you in on a little!"

The group grew silent after that, although they kept walking, allowing the noise from around them to take charge until they could find a way to blend in.

"We are actually holding," Kamatari began, "a friendly tourney at the opening of the tavern."

Enishi looked evenly at the person beside him. "'We'?"

The police spy nodded, putting a finger on his lips to indicate that these words were not to be spread. "The constabulary, of course. We foresee a fair amount of trouble in Kyoto, what with the Yuugure pulling some really, really long strings behind the scenes, so we wanted to weed out some grassroots leaders to aid in our mission. We decided there's no better way and time to do it than this."

"Which, I suppose, is why you're 'delivering' wine bottles to the store on it's opening day?" Enishi asked, although he very well could have simply left the question unasked, for the farmer-guised man merely chortled.

"We'll definitely see a few experts this evening," he continued, "even you may find it entertaining, Sou-chan!"

"You seem pretty sure about this," Enishi blandly muttered.

"Well, what can good men not resist?" The spy winked and almost struck a pose there and then. "Good wine, good money, good women, and a good challenge, of course! We've got the wine and women part covered, now all the men's gotta fight for is the money! Nothing makes for a better challenge, don't you think?" The sparklies suddenly appearing around Kamatari could almost be seen. "It's a perfect plan! This time we'll crush that underground weapon-trading ring once and for all!"

They stepped from the small alley into a rather large, grassy plaza, currently overflowing with what must have been at least half the population of Kyoto. Although nobody in particular spoke too loudly, their combined voices made an intensive murmur rise above the crowd, rendering any sort of conversation inaudible unless at close range. Kamatari quickly led them towards a sheltered portion near one of the corners of the square, where there were several men moving crates and boxes around. "Hey, boss!" He squealed, catching some of the men's attention.

"If it isn't Kamatari-san!" A man with short, cropped hair and a twisted bandanna around his forehead stepped forward, wiping the sweat off his brow with the towel hung on his neck. He motioned towards his men and they continued to work at their tasks. Returning his attention to Kamatari, he noticed the box in his hands. "You brought it!" He smiled ambiguously, taking the crate from the farmer-guised spy. "In one piece too! Thanks! This is the last one for today!"

"Glad to be of service," the spy did a mock salute, grinning from ear to ear. "How's everything coming along?"

"Preparations are great," the labourer quickly replied with a nod, "now we just have to wait for the people to show up and do their stuff! We've singled out a few so far. There should be more to look out for come night time."

"What a way to pull a recruitment drive," Enishi mumbled under his breath. Immediately, he was given a suspicious glare from the other man.

"And who may these people be... ?" The man shot Kamatari a questioning look.

In response, Kamatari flapped his hands about in a friendly manner. "They are our friends. I'm sure Saitou has told you about them."

A wave of recognition swept over the man's face in the instant Saitou's name was mentioned, and it took him quite a while to recover. By then, his countenance had melted into a half-disdainful, half-amused look, and his eyes were tapered as he wittered, "Oh. Yes. He /has/ told me about them."

Kenji wondered what exactly Saitou had told the man.

"So anyway," the moment of tension passed quickly enough, and the man quickly addressed Kamatari once more, "are you going to join in the tourney and beat some wannabes up just for fun?" His grin was reciprocated.

"I would love to!" Kamatari lifted his scythe once and struck it against the ground, sending a slight tremour pulsating through the small wareshop. "Unfortunately I have some things I need to talk to you about first. Sou-chan?" He turned around and called out to the wanderer in a sweet voice, hands clasped. "You'll find something to entertain yourselves with until I come find you, won't you?"

"Awww, that's too bad!" Not to be defeated in cheeriness, Soujirou chirped his reply, "But we'll walk around a little. See you later, Kamatari-san! Let's go wander a bit, Himura-san!" He tapped the boy on his shoulder and motioned towards the area outside. The boy nodded quickly and followed the smiling man. Soon, they vanished into the sea of people, still chattering away, not noticing that they left the enigmatic Enishi behind.

Even Kamatari looked at the white-haired man strangely. "Not going to join your comrades?" He asked in a sultry voice.

The man looked away, fishing a folded piece of paper out from his pockets. Silently he thrust it in Kamatari's face, who was bug-eyed with surprise at the sudden action, but graciously accepted the paper and unfolded it carefully. His eyes grew wider when he saw what it was and immediately his head snapped up to stare at the more composed Enishi. "Where did you-"

"In that bag of clinkers you gave the redhead," Enishi interrupted with a slight smirk. "I see. So this note really belongs to you. That solves quite a bit of problems." He held a hand over his face, obscuring it. "Of course, it also adds a lot more questions to the list..." Pulling his hand down to reveal a single, intensive eye, he continued, "... You met up with someone related to this entire Yuugure saga, didn't you?" It was evident that he had to exercise a great deal of self-control to keep himself from snarling. He was, after all, not someone who liked to be manipulated around while being kept in the dark. "Who was it?"

Kamatari's smile had turned chilly within the second he asked the question. "It is not your business to know."

"Sure," Enishi rolled his eyes, undaunted, "keep anymore information from us and we're liable to go around causing more random mayhem than what we did in Tokyo," it was more a fact than a threat, and Kamatari knew it, "besides, I had been hoping to hear it from you personally than to play my own game of speculation." He shrugged. "Guess there's no point if you don't trust me."

"What are you talking about?" Kamatari frowned, truly concerned. "If I didn't trust you, I would be talking with you with something else right now!" He tapped at the sturdy handle of his scythe in indication.

"Well, thank you for holding back," the white-haired man simpered slightly, and Kamatari could not help but wonder if he had really meant what he said. "Just so you know," Enishi continued, "I can only think of one person in the whole of Kyoto at the moment who has connections to this case and could possibly know about that old-styled code, and still be using it." He closed his eyes and spun around on his heels to face the great outdoors. "I don't suppose I need to tell you who I think it is. All right, come find us when you think you're ready to tell us what that crabhead wants us to do this time." He had a hand raised in a silent farewell, and was already strolling into the masses of people.

"Enishi," Kamatari's voice was firm and solemn. It succeeded in halting the retreating swordsman. The spy shifted slightly so he was in full view of the wanderer's back. "Don't," he smiled with a frown, "always jump to conclusions. There are more people depending on you than you ever give yourself credit for."

There came to pass a short moment of silence between the duo. As quickly as it came, it passed, and Enishi had began his slow walk into the crowds again. Watching him until he disappeared entirely, Kamatari let his smile turn empathic.

"Kamatari-san?" The man who had been quietly listen to the entire conversation broke into Kamatari's thoughts. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Aah! Yes, yes!" Snapping out of his reverie, the farmer-guised person almost laughed at himself. "Now then..."

  
------------------------------------------

  
"Hmmm..." Kenji's head resembled a curious cat among a sidewalk of meat and poultry products, bobbing from one area to another in quick succession. "I've never been to such a crowded place before... It seems pretty fun!"

Beside him, the dark-haired wanderer laughed. "Really, Himura-san? You've never... ?"

The boy simply shook his head. But his mood was not dampened by his quick visit down memory lane about his unfortunately detached childhood. He continued to take in the sights until a particularly large crowd in the center of the plaza caught his attention. "I wonder what they're doing there?" He pondered aloud, pointing at the rowdy pack. Soujirou turned to look in that direction as well.

"I wonder too," he smiled. "Shall we go find out, Himura-san?" Soujirou offered, and was immediately replied with a hearty nod from the young boy. Before he even said anything else, Kenji had started on a run towards the throng, leaving the blinking wanderer staring at a cloud of dissipating dust. Finding the entire episode to be hilarious, Soujirou could barely contain his laughter as he followed his young companion. Boys will be boys, he grinned inwardly.

It was surprisingly easy to squeeze their way through the large men who had gathered around a makeshift ring of sorts in the center of the plaza, where two lethal looking gentlemen were squaring off with a couple of kendo swords. Loud cheering, toasting and random object throwing came from the sidelines where the crowd was gathered, and Kenji was awe-struck at the scene before him.

He had definitely seen sparring in his life before - the dojo had no end of that during practice. But in those times those who did not participate were made to kneel stiffly in a circle around the competitors, after which said competitors would then proceed to try to score points by striking at vital spots. And they were always armoured, too! Nothing, Kenji decided, he had experienced before had made his blood boil in anticipation like the event that was now taking place before his eyes. This was raw battle, something he had never had but always wished to have a taste of. He could feel his eyes following every single move of the two fighters, accessing their abilities and analyzing in split seconds maneuvers that would outwit their skill.

So absorbed he was in his viewing, he almost didn't catch Soujirou as he uttered, "This must be the tourney Kamatari-san was talking about!"

A few more strikes from the larger of the fighters were all it took for the duel to be over. A singular loud cheer rose into the air when the umpire stepped forward to announce the winner, a large man with rippling muscles, wearing a frayed, sleeveless gi and a worn looking brown hakama. Most of the men, obviously drunk, began to sing a victory song of sorts. The others took to throwing pieces of paper into the ring. Very rowdy, Kenji decided, but pretty cool!

"Well that was a quick victory," Soujirou had a disappointed pout on his face, "wasn't it, Himura-san?"

"Maybe..." Kenji scanned the ring carefully. The umpire was now shouting for new challengers, while the current victor stood smugly in the center of the ring with arms crossed over his chest. Suddenly remembering something, he turned around to stare at Soujirou with a foxy grin, "Hey Soujirou," he put on his best good-boy tone, "this is some sort of a /drinking/ festival, isn't it? I don't suppose we could toast a few cups as well, hmm?"

He was rewarded instantly with a knock on his head. "Himura-san," Soujirou was still smiling, but his voice dripped with icicles, "if you get drunk and knocked out, I can guarantee you Yukishiro-san will think that dumping you into the Japan Sea with an anchor attached to your feet is a good way of making you sober again." The smile was still there. "I will not even try to talk him out of it."

A shiver most definitely crept up Kenji's spine. "I get your point," he mumbled. The men behind him began to clamour closer, and he held a hand up in defense. "It's getting a bit too unruly around here, let's-YIKES!" The last sentence ended abruptly when a man drowning in his drunkenness stumbled one step too much and tripped the young Himura, who proceeded to land flat on his face against the ground.

The loud cheering suddenly hushed into deathly silence.

"Hi... Himura-san..." Soujirou's smile twitched slightly.

"Ooouch..." Kenji pushed his face out of the dirt, shaking his head slightly. Somehow he managed to get into a kneel. He would have spun around and unleashed his stored vocabulary of scathing remarks on the man who had pushed him if he hadn't noticed how the aura around the crowd had completely changed. Even Soujirou was staring at him strangely.

Before he could ask, however, the umpire broke out in a shrill shout, "This young man has arisen to the challenge! What great enthusiasm youngsters nowadays can show! Let us cheer for his participation!!"

The silence was immediately engulfed by a resounding, joyous cheer of the men who were in one accord in voice and movement. Soujirou's smile really did twitch this time, and Kenji was horrified beyond proper expression. He slowly got to his feet and tried hard not to crane his neck too much to get a good view of the hulking man standing before him, probably going through a thousand and one ways of how to skewer him on the end of his wooden sword.

"Arara..." Soujirou slouched slightly in defeat. "... Himura-san, you really are a trouble-magnet, aren't you? ... Hm?" His eyes shot up and was naturally drawn to a tall, hooded man standing directly opposite him. Like himself, the man was not moving along with the other drunks in shouting some inane cheer or another. He merely watched the ring with an impassive concentration, until he could feel someone's eyes on him. Looking up, he exchanged a brief glance with the unsmiling Soujirou, before withdrawing quickly into the mob behind him, where he thus remained out of sight.

"Is the kid doing what I think he's doing?" Enishi's voice drew Soujirou back into the present. He had found the duo again after his short spat with Kamatari and did not look very pleased at what he saw.

Soujirou turned around, smiled, and shrugged. Then his face lit up. "Say, Yukishiro-san! Wanna wager on the winner?"

Behind him, Kenji bodyfaulted.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
31/8/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
Yaay! Kenji finally gets to kick some butt! ... at least, in the next chapter. XD More appearances from Mr. Mysterious Man! What, you know who he is already?? o.Ox No! Don't tell me! XD So, anyway, who wants to wager on the winner? I try my best to update quick, but don't kill me if I sometimes take a long time! ^_^x;;

  
Zeromaru: Chaos Mode  
Bah, small crevasse is nothing for Da Tenken and Da Psycho! *gets mugged by fangirls* Ehehehe... ^_^x After all, if Kenshin can do it, I'm sure they can too. Will Kenji ever start to fight?? Yes, of course he will!! :D Been planning it for chapters! I hope I don't disappoint the readers in this aspect!

CurlsofSerenity  
O.Ox I'm glad he's not too! *shudders at the thought of angry Kenji fangirls... and fanboys?*

EEevee  
Revenge Arc on Cartoon Network??? O_Ox Wow... All I have is the manga and brief memories of the anime. XD Nahahhaha Kamatari can really name-call when he wants to. *agrees*

April-san  
APRIL-SAAAAAAAAAAAN *GLOMP* :D :D :D Eh? Two Towers week?? O_Ox;; I'm sorry, I didn't know about that... Should I go rescue you from Helms Deep with my tarnished mythril armour??! *dons a paladin lance* XD Don't be so perceptive about the mysterious man, muahahah!! And don't worry, I haven't forgotten that I'm supposed to pack Soujirou up after everything to send to you so you can braid his hair. ^___^x

kenshin_admirer  
O_Ox Thank you so much for your kind encouragement! m(_ _)m The crevasse could or could be not the same one Kenshin jumped - I prefer to leave some things to the reader's imagination. ^______^x But yeah, you can tell where I derived inspiration of that scene from. *nod nod*

jbramx2  
Kenji /IS/ traumatized. XD Just hiding it really well. *giggle* I'm glad you liked Kamatari. O.Ox I thought I made him such an airhead I was gonna get hacked by his scythe. XD Enishi saying 'dorks'... nahahahaha!! He is Da Master of Funny Language. XD

Silver Nightingale  
Yes, shady guy... creature of darkness... etc etc. ^_^x Now, I wonder who he could be, hm? *maniacal laughter* Glad you liked the intro!! XD

sasori  
Mail is in your inbox even as I type! XD


	18. 17: Versus

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 17: Versus

  
To say that Kenji was not overawed would be a big fat lie. The young boy took his time to assess the massive man before him with large, inquisitive eyes. When he finally caught the eyes of the taller and bulkier person, he thought he could see murder in its depths, together with a rather large bout of intoxication. He blinked, and wondered about the 'murder' part. Wasn't this supposed to be a friendly tournament?

"Hey kid," the large man opened his mouth and said, sending a jet of foul-liquor into the environment. Kenji leaned backwards slightly in absolute disgust. "You don't know what you're doin'!" The man continued, making it a point to guffaw like a feeding pig. Kenji could almost /see/ the tendrils of ghouly odour crawling out of the man's drooling chops. He edged slowly backwards with a scrunched up face. "Better run home to momma before you get seriously hurt! HAHAHAHAA!!"

There was a naggy feeling at the back of Kenji's head which told him that if he /did/ 'run home to momma' at this point of time, 'momma' would bestow a capital punishment worst than anything this large man could do to him in this competition. He shuddered inwardly at the mere thought. Calmly, he strolled further into the ring under the watchful eyes of both his opponent and the cheering crowd surrounding them. He withdrew the metal rod he had kept by his side since the smithy event in Tokyo, holding the long, thin equipment out in his usual dojo training style. At his stance, the hordes began to cheer even louder, throwing more things around and moving about in their own inebriated trances. Not to be deterred, the larger man moved to face him and held his own bokken out menacingly.

The stalemate continued until the umpire heartily shouted: "BEGIN!"

In a whirlwind of dust and flying grass the bulky man moved at a speed which his large build and astounding drunkenness did not suggest was possible. He covered the distance between himself and Kenji within seconds and lashed out ferociously with his bokken. The sheer force caused a ripple of wind to surge through the air, knocking a few unsteady bystanders off their feet. The ring was generally obscured by a thick cloud of dust soon after the attack, which did not dissipate until a breeze caught it in its wake.

The burly man had an evil smile on his face. All cheering had ceased to nothing when the attack happened, surprise evident in the faces of even the most drunk ones. Soujirou peered intensely at the slowly clearing enclosure, face set in a smile.

Kenji was not where he originally stood.

"Pretty good for someone of that size," an overly happy voice called out to the man from behind him, as he turned his head slightly with grim displeasure. "But sometimes," Kenji stooped into stance again, "those who strike first don't always win the match."

He vanished from sight, before the man could even find time to whirl around to face him completely. An impressed hum reverberated through the audience when they eventually found the boy again, soaring through the skies like gravity did not hinder him in any way. The large man glanced upwards, almost blinded by the slowly setting afternoon sun. He was not quick enough to block against Kenji's next move.

"Ryuu Tsui Sen..." The boy was descending like an unstoppable dragon, "... Zan!" He drove the tip of the rod into the man's right shoulder, the same hand in which he held his weapon with. Letting out a cry of pain, the man immediately dropped his bokken. The infuriated look in his eyes, however, revealed that he was far from letting the match be over.

With an almost inhuman deftness, the man grabbed the dropping bokken with his left hand and spun back on his feet. Letting his temporarily disabled right hand hang limp, he snarled, "Nice going, kid. Now let's see how you fair against this!" He drove his point home with a forward lance which immediately brought him to Kenji's immediate vicinity.

Lashing out fluidly, the man began to execute yet another series of complicated movements, drawing amazement and hoots of cheers alike from the audience, who were beginning to warm up to this strange pair of duellers. Soujirou gasped at the speed - very impressive for someone of that size with an arm out of commission - and found it in himself to clap happily at how the match was currently progressing. If anyone got hit by a man of that strength at that speed, it would probably make the victim's life torturous for the next few weeks. "Don't lose, Himura-san!" He raised a fist and cheered. "We're betting our socks on you!!"

Enishi shot him a glare of disbelief. "Our socks /WHAT/?"

The younger wanderer just grinned like a cheshire cat at him. Attention grabbed by the ring again quickly, Soujirou stated in a surprised tone, "That's the Shinken no Kamae!"

Enishi was watching as well. "Didn't think a show-off like him would bother taking such a boring stance."

Feet apart, and hand poised with the rod parallel to the ground in front of him with both hands, Kenji was indeed pulling the Shinken no Kamae off. True, he had only heard Yahiko talk about it once, about how his father had used it against some masked ninja guy or another. Yet by that narration alone he was able to judge that this stance, though seemingly obtuse, had it's benefits both in defense and offense. First of all, it allowed him to anticipate all his opponent's moves while in a posture of readiness. Secondly it gave him enough room to move his weapon about easily to protect any part of his body under attack. And finally, once the enemy was tired with delivering the same pattern of attacks with the same, unwavering speed, it gave him the right momentum to deflect the single blow that would leave an opening on the opponent so he could go in for the kill.

Which was what he did at that very moment. With a practiced eye he saw that the next bokken attack by the man was decidedly slower than his usual swing, and, quickly retrieving his rod from defence, positioned the tip so that it intercepted the wooden sword before it ever came close to touching him.

Both weapons came to a sudden standstill.

The man was decidedly shocked at this turn of event. But before he could do anything about it, Kenji twisted his weapon free and used the resulting force he obtained to swing the rod in a rising tackle. With a loud snap, the burly man's wooden sword flew into the masses, out of any further reach.

Kenji stooped into position, ever cautious - even when victory was in sight. That was one thing Yahiko had drilled into his head from since he started his training. "Still fighting?" He mockingly asked.

Although it seemed absurd that a tall, strong man like Kenji's opponent should even think to give in to the small, frail looking boy, at that very moment in time, nobody in the crowd would have blamed him for throwing in the towel. Compared to the boy, the man was already showing signs of fatigue and weariness, whereas Kenji wasn't even breathing hard. It would have been unbelievable to anybody if they had been told about Kenji's absolute inexperience with serious combat. Yet in truth, it only enhanced the fact that the boy had, besides flair, a raw talent lurking beneath his tender form.

The larger man retreated a good three steps backwards in view of the situation he now faced. His expression, however, showed that he was far from done. Glancing towards his side from the corner of his eyes, he made a motioning movement, and not two seconds later, a new weapon was thrown to him from what must have been some of his companions in the crowd. It was not a wooden sword this time. Rather, it was a long rod of sorts with a gradually bulging tip, ending with a hexagon shape right at the end, which he then pointed towards Kenji. "You'll pay, brat," was his simple but amazingly powerful threat.

Giving a slight nod, the redhead got into his standard position once more. They stood where they were, facing off for what seemed like a long time.

Soujirou was the first to notice that the larger man had been inconspicuously digging the tip of his foot into the loosened sand before him while everybody else had concentrated on the fighters' eyes. Instantly he knew what trick he had up his sleeve. Quickly turning to Kenji, he cried, "Himura-san, close your eyes!"

"Too late!" The man laughed and sent a lethal spray of sand and soil into the young boy's face. Kenji gave a exclamation of surprise and instinctively lifted his hands up in defense. Just as the man had said, however, it was indeed too late, and several irritants had found their way into the redhead's eyes, rendering them useless for until he could get them out. He did manage to pry one watery eye open, however, just in time to see the large man lunge at him with renewed vigour, and an absolutely disgusting smirk on his face.

The muscular person swung his weapon and hit the boy dead-on.

The resulting force was so big, most of the men who were standing close enough could feel the sheer tremor in the ground. Needless to say, large amounts of soil and sand were tossed about in the air, veiling the scene from general view. Soujirou and Enishi stood perfectly still from where they were, unaffected, while the others behind and around them were attempting to clear the dusty air before them. There was no need to clear the air, however, to see that Soujirou was not smiling anymore. Even Enishi had the aura of a man stuck between disbelief and trepidation.

Two shadowy figures on the arena gradually became visible.

As if on cue, a strong breeze swept through the plaza and took most of the fogginess in the ring away. It was then obvious that the older man who had supposedly delivered the final strike was far from being pleased. He was, instead, bathing in cold sweat. And it was really no wonder.

Under normal circumstances, the mere sight of a short, small boy easily withstanding a blow from a weapon two times his size, handled by a man two times his height, would have been rather comical.

"That's all?" Kenji had a strange smile on his face, single eye opened, the other wrenched tightly shut. He had both hands raised over his head, his wrists locked in a cross. The back of his palms were clenching onto the large weapon of his opponent tightly, and no matter how hard the man struggled, he could not pull his large weapon back from the tiny boy's grasp. Kenji's smile dissolved the moment he opened his other eye, narrowing both into an ominous glare. "My mother," he began, as he traversed the distance between him and the man by sliding his crossed wrists across the bulky bludgeon, "packs a punch," he stopped just one step before the man and with great agility deflected the weapon he had trapped, away, "ten times more powerful than you!"

He readied the hilt of his metal rod.

"Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Ougi," nobody had time to even blink while the boy executed the second part of the deciding move, "Hawatari!"

The tip of the rod connected squarely with the large man's chest. He made a sound akin to that of a strangled cry - but that was the last they would hear of him for that day. The final cloud of dust rose, when the man fell backwards onto the floor, all movements ceased. Kenji loomed over him with a look of disdain on his face. Slowly, he blinked at the floor, and started to rub at his eyes.

A slow cheer was building. The crowds were doubtlessly excited beyond compare. How often, after all, did a never-before-seen young boy defeat a champion of a city with such ease? Kenji alone was impervious. He tucked the metal rod under his arm and started rubbing his eyes with more fervour, a scowl on his face. It was definitely uncomfortable to have stubborn dirt particles trapped in your eyes.

"We have a new winner!" It was the umpire's shout who brought the masses into their highest level of cheering that day.

And as for Kenji, he just blinked.

"Wahah!" Soujirou was laughing, like he had expected it all along. "Himura-san really reminds me of that age-old proverb: still waters run deep!"

"Hmph," although not as obvious, Enishi was clearly glad as well. His smile was more natural, and there was a shine of approval in his eyes, "about time he proved his usefulness."

"Any takers?" The umpire was saying, waving his hands around. "Any takers against this promising young fighter?" Even as he spoke, his attendants were rushing in to drag the fallen contender off the ring. "Well?" The man urged the crowds, who were too busy cheering to really notice him.

"I doubt anybody would dare step in after what Himura-san's showed them he can do!" Soujirou said jovially. "Ooh, does that mean we get to keep the reward Kamatari-san was talking about?" There were sparkles in his eyes at the mere thought of widening their budget.

Enishi sighed. "Do you /really/ think they will allow us to? Wake. Up!" He pushed the younger person's head forward in a friendly strike.

"Well, one can always hope," Soujirou rubbed the back of his head and smiled at his partner. At this point of time the cheering subsided into a loud murmur, which indicated that some change must have taken in the arena. Both wanderers turned to look at the ring, where someone had disassociated himself from the crowd and was making his way towards the center of the battleground.

Kenji stopped rubbing his eyes to peered blearily at the newcomer to the ring. The tall man stood with an aura of experience Kenji found was oddly disturbing. His blurred vision now, however, was not helping him in trying to pinpoint why the vibe this person gave off seemed so familiar.

"I would love a match," the quiet, unassuming voice of the stranger could be heard above all the chaos. Face hidden by his dark hood, and voice muffled slightly by the long cloth loosely obscuring the bottom half of his face, he was the epitome of inscrutability.

Kenji gave his eyes one final rub, and got into position. "Charmed," he nodded, face unsmiling. Perhaps he could find out more about his gut feeling by taking the person head-on.

Off at the sidelines, Soujirou breathed. He could tell that this was the same mysterious person he had seen just prior to Kenji taking on the large, over-confident brute, and wondered briefly about the man's calm, unreadable aura. Turning around, he noted that Enishi probably had his mind on the same thing.

When the umpire shouted for the contenders to begin, things took on a terrifying turn.

The man walked, slowly, towards the poised Kenji with a single, sheathed kodachi in his hand. He came within seven steps of the readied boy, before he vanished. Already handicapped in sight, Kenji could feel the whistle of energy from his right and barely had enough time to bring his weapon to block against the other person's. Metal met metal, and a shrill 'clang!' resonated throughout the wide plains. But the attack did not stop there. After the weapons separated, Kenji faced a rain of punches executed in quick succession. In his state of mental disarray it was commendable enough that he managed to fend off the first two strikes. The final blow landed, however, and sent him flying across the arena until he fell in a heap just before the edge of the makeshift ring.

In an instant, the stranger was by Kenji's side, his weapon raised menacingly. Although unable to get to his feet, Kenji still held his own weapon raised, calculating his strength to greet the impact.

He hadn't needed to worry, however, for the assault never made it to him.

Holding his shinai over his head, Soujirou held the stranger's attack back, his intensive eyes trying to search the blank facade behind the hooded guise. Kenji had somehow been thrown to where Soujirou and Enishi had been standing, and the blue-clad wanderer had instinctively brandished his bamboo sword to block the stranger's sheathed weapon from reaching the boy.

The stranger and the wanderer continued staring at each other in silence - until Soujirou made a movement to deflect the other's weapon, causing its wielder to leap backwards to reposition his stance.

Releasing his shinai from an overhead grasp, Soujirou let it hang limp by his side, along with the arm which held it. He slowly walked into the arena, an almost brilliant smile on his face.

"It would be an honour," he stated, still smiling, "to go up against a skilled opponent like yourself."

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
1/9/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
Gaaaaaaaaaar I think half my brain cells are dead by now. Okay, so I said I preferred writing action. I guess I failed to calculate how many brain cells it would kill. O.Ox More action coming up! Who exactly is Mysterious Man??! What?! The kodachi didn't give him away?? Don't worry, we will find out a lot more things come next part... Stay tuned!! MUAHAHAHA!! (i think i'd make a rather lousy tv host... *nodnod*)

Oh and... *hands out winning stakes to all who had bet their money on Kenji*. Dang, I lost a bit of money. Wanna wager on Soujirou and Mystery Man this time? *eyes sparkle* XD

  
CurlsofSerenity  
Awwww, you see, Soujirou bet his socks that Kenji would win, so he couldn't jump in to help Kenji unless he wanted to lose his so- *is promptly beaten up by Sou-fangirls*

Zeromaru: Chaos Mode  
Yes, I know the bit about the fangirl part. *.*x I worked really hard to push this chapter out by the day! Hope you liked the action!

Silver Nightingale  
Nahahaha... only this particular fic do I update so quickly. Take a look at my Houshin Engi one, which has been dangling for half a year already. XD That's what can happen when inspiration dries up BUAHAHAH!!

Tanuki-dono  
So glad you liked the scythe-man... err, woman! o.Ox *small voice* Last I checked I typed at 117wpm. *cough* I love trying to write nice stories fast, so I hope this streak can last!

jbramx2  
Nee nee, I have't forgotten that you said you wanted to draw something for the fic, MUAHAHAHA!! XD XD XD Anyway, Kenji should /not/ be getting drunk! O.Ox What would Kaoru say??! Kenshin would be rolling in his grave too... I understand Mystery Man *ahem*'s motive may seem rather obscure, but I will explain myself in the following chapters. I hope they are satisfactory! *_*x

April-san  
If you say so... *_*x *dons armour and joins April-san in imprisonment* Hm. You know, I can't continue writing the fic from here... XD XD XD

EEevee  
Yeah *_*x I'm always impressed Soujirou can still remain so optimistic despite his childhood. He's such a good guy! And yes, Kenji got what he wanted... only not in the way he wanted it to be. XD

Shahredzad1  
*glomp!* Eeh? Don't worry about it! :D As long as the story still interests you, I will be happy! *giggle* I'm not sure if I would describe Sanosuke as a person with 'rippling muscles', however, but he /is/ a rather strong guy! :D Uhm, have fun wherever you're going! *.*x

C.M Aeries Queen of Insanity  
O.Ox Glad you think so! We need comic relief! XD


	19. 18: Peerless

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

*tacked hastily on a run-down brick wall with the insignia: FROM HELM'S DEEP WITH LOVE*

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 18: Peerless

  
"You all right?" Enishi's dull voice brought Kenji's train of thought back on track. The young boy gave small sound of surprise and glanced upwards at the white-haired man with wide eyes. It was evident he had still not gotten over the shock of the previous battles. "Pretty good moves for a novice," the man continued to say, as he held a single hand outstretched, "come on, are you gonna sit there the entire evening?"

Looking hesitantly at the hand Enishi offered, Kenji slowly grabbed it, and was hauled immediately to his feet. Gasping at the rapidity of motion, the boy stumbled a few times before he could balance himself on his feet. "Thanks," he muttered curtly, feebly attempting to dust his hakama. He realized with dismayal that his hands were trembling due to a combination of delayed fear and muscle exhaustion. Stealing a glance at Enishi to see if the man had caught sight of his quivering hands and if he was going to make fun of him, he saw instead that Enishi had his full attention on the arena. Blinking, Kenji turned to look as well.

It was at this point of time that the boy finally noticed that silence had once again overtaken the crowd. The setting sun was struggling to shed light upon the ring and its occupants, but could not provide enough luminosity to enlighten Kenji clearly about what was happening within the ring. All he could see was two shadowy outlines, facing each other. Even the large throng of people hardly seemed to be present when they remained in such a hush.

And what made the entire scene so much more frightening than the impending darkness, was the cutting aura rippling out from the center of the ring, from the two poised warriors. Just by looking at Soujirou alone, Kenji would never have guessed that the amiable looking wanderer could give off such an intensive battle aura. And that tall, hooded guy still seemed so familiar, Kenji's head was starting to hurt at all the possibilities. There was, however, no noteable malice present. The air stilled after a minor round of staring. Both combatants fingered their weapons at the same time.

The final rays of the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

For one short moment Kenji saw nothing but pitch darkness, and the occasional flickering of light from afar from a random home in Kyoto. There was a sharp whistling of air, however, and Kenji knew that Soujirou and the stranger had both taken the momentary darkness as their unofficial indication to begin their match. The resulting force tore outwards in pockets of air which made up quite a powerful gale. Kenji could hear the strong 'whoosh' ringing in his ears, just before several of the fire lamps around the plaza were lit up by the attendants, bathing the entire place with a soft, orange glow.

The two competitors were not where they once stood.

In fact, Kenji noticed almost bemusedly, they had switched positions, and both had their backs facing each other. Soujirou held his shinai in a standard ready position, feet slightly bent, while the stranger stood straight, his half-sheathed kodachi languishing easily in his right hand. There was still dust settling from what must have been a rather long run for the both of them. How they had managed to do that within that split second of darkness, Kenji had no idea. He must not have been the only one who noticed the change, because whereas the crowd had previously been hushed, it was now overwhelmed by a deathlike silence.

"They both look all right," Kenji blinked.

"Just watch, kid," Enishi's voice was stern and laden with displeasure.

The next few things happened at the same time. With a small cracking sound, the top of Soujirou's bamboo sword snapped into half. The damage was not so great that the entire shinai was rendered useless, however. It was the thin, barely visible line of blood gradually appearing on Soujirou's cheek Kenji was truly alarmed about. Before he had time to even get over his apprehension, he noticed quickly that Soujirou's ponytail slipped slightly, until it no longer held and sent the wanderer's hair cascading around his face and shoulders in smooth transition.

Soujirou's long tresses obscured his face from general view, but his ever-present smile stretched slightly wider.

Kenji only found out why when he turned to check the condition of the hooded stranger. Right before his very eyes, the sheath of the person's kodachi burst into fine dust, scattering gracefully about the weapon previously laid within it in an intricate dance of mockery. The tall stranger made a movement to stare at it for a brief moment, before turning around slowly to face his opponent again. Soujirou did the same thing, and both unhurriedly raised their weapons in challenge.

"Let me see..." Kenji held his hand out, "... one hit on the shinai, one on the cheek, one on his hair, and God knows how many on that sheath to make it crumble into dust like that!" The boy stared at his hand. "In one second??! ONE??"

"The precise timing, I believe, should be-" Enishi intercepted.

"GARGH! Who asked you?!" The redhead cut him short. "Don't you see the /point/?!"

Enishi shot him a doleful look. "That the Tenken's not yet fighting at his full abilities? Of course I know that without you telling me, d'oh!"

Young Kenji took a deep breath, and released it. Yes. He was calm. He was not yet going crazy from how the people around him misunderstood every nuance of his words into something he never knew he was even implying. He jerked his head upwards in a quick motion, however, when the full import of Enishi's words sank in. "He's NOT fighting at his full abilities?"

The white-haired man caught Kenji's disbelieving stare with a lopsided grin. "Just watch, okay?" There was a tone of finality in his statement, after which he returned his attention to the ring and did not show any indication that he would give a reply to any other questions Kenji had on his mind.

Filled with a strange, new kind of determination, Kenji turned towards the arena and squinted slightly. The sand particles in them had long been flushed out, although his eyes were still smarting slightly from that particular encounter. Blinking, he almost missed what next happened in the ring.

Previously just a standing figure, Soujirou stooped once, slightly, and immediately became a trail of footsteps and flying sand. Dramatic as it appeared to the onlookers, the hooded stranger stood his ground and received the incoming, inhumanly fast attack with something slightly less than one disgruntled step back in retreat. Kenji didn't even see Soujirou pause for a breather, for the footsteps swerved and dived in for the kill again, from another direction. This series of movements repeated itself until the stranger had nearly backed into the edge of the ring. None of Soujirou's attacks had managed to even come near him, although it was also clear the stranger had no real time to react accordingly to the rapidity of attacks.

He made a stand, however, when he saw that one step further back would place him among the throng of audience. With his single kodachi he held it at an arm's length and proceeded to slash twice quickly in a cross-formation, halting the approaching Soujirou enough for him to slip through the offense.

In that moment Soujirou paused enough for everybody to finally see him in the flesh. The boyish wanderer turned his head around to regard the hooded stranger with a mischievious smile, as if what had just happened had been nothing but good fun. Which was probably true. He leaned the blade of his shinai against his shoulder carefully, and tapped lightly on the ground with one foot.

This time the stranger did not wait for the attack to come. He leaned low, kodachi primed, sharp side of the blade towards his opponent, flat side of the blade against his other backhand, and dashed forward first. They met with a tremendous noise in the center of the ring and engaged in a deadly whirlwind of attack and defence. Kenji found himself quite unable to really see what was going on at all, what with the speed and agility the competitors were executing their skills with. He did, however, find himself amazed with something else as well.

"How in the world does a bamboo sword hold up for so long against a metal blade?" The boy asked nobody in particular. Behind him, Enishi chuckled knowingly. Kenji decided he would throttle an answer out from the man after the match was over.

In the meantime, the duel in the center of the ring appeared to be reaching a culmination, when both warriors separated from the mini cloud dust which had arisen from their stomping and individually leapt backwards, readied their weapons, and charged towards each other again.

To everybody's surprise, the stranger drew his weapon back while running to fling it towards the obviously astounded wanderer, who had not counted on the man letting go of his weapon at such a critical moment at all. He had to bring his bamboo sword up to deflect the incoming blade away, but in that instant left himself dangerously open to attacks. Soujirou could hear himself gasping when he felt the stranger's ominous presence gradually nearing. Although it registered in his mind that there was a decidedly serious punch on its way, he was still recovering from the movement he had made to block the flying kodachi, and so did not have enough time to muster up a proper defense for the blow this time. He only managed to hold one hand up in a feeble attempt to reduce any damage on his body proper, whilst the other he lashed out with his shinai at the approaching figure.

Both hits connected.

While the hooded stranger stumbled a few steps backwards, Soujirou practically slid the whole radius of the ring, still standing on both his feet. That condition did not last, for as soon the effects of the blow hit him, he collapsed against one knee and held his side painfully.

It was the same side he had been previously slashed at by the wakizashi.

Ignoring the warning signals, Soujirou used the tip of his shinai to get himself back on both feet. He peered intently around himself and could see no one. Reading the aura, however, he knew that the stranger was now standing behind him in readiness. There was just something about this stranger he could not put his finger on. And he would find out if it was the last thing he did tonight.

As events turned out, he hadn't needed to find out at all.

From behind him, the stranger, previously weaponless, brandished two more kodachis from where he had hidden them on his back. Soujirou could feel a strange stirring in the air, and even as he continued staring in front of him, an image flashed by and vanished quickly. The wanderer would have dismissed it to be a hallucation caused by the flickering orange glow of the fire lamps, had he not see another one. And then another. And yet another, until eventually, multiple mirages of the stranger with his twin kodachis encircled him in a rapid flow of movement and energy.

His heart nearly stopped at the realization. "Kodachi Nitou Ryuu..." He gasped. "Ryuusui no Ugoki!!"

But there was hardly any time to ponder about the possibilities at the moment. If this person really was who Soujirou thought he was, then there was only one way to break through the slow, but deadly flow of mirages.

Although he had no sheath, Soujirou stood erect, drew his shinai against his left hand poised by his waistline, and slid it through an imaginery scabbard, holding the bamboo sword in place by wrapping his fingers around it. He stepped into a forward lance, and stooped with his right hand drooping before him.

Enishi blinked. He discreetly moved three steps back while grabbing Kenji by his shoulder, all the time wondering if three steps were enough. And Kenji had no time to even question what the older person was doing.

Shun Ten Satsu broke out before anybody knew what was happening.

Utilising the speed of Shukuchi, Shun Ten Satsu was more than just a straight-line battou-jutsu, as Soujirou now demonstrated to the masses. He vanished from sight so cleanly, not even the slightest winds caught him in his wake. Going through every single mirage on a rounded path, Soujirou just about made a pass at all the illusions in the twinkling of an eye, and quickly found where the person was standing in actuality.

His next step brought an earth-shaking tremour throughout the plaza, and a small crater formed where he had placed that one foot on. In the next moment he soared through the air, bringing his weapon down to a crashing collision against the other man's blade. The residue force tapered off violently into slips of wind surging outwards where the masses gathered in a circle. Being mostly drunk and shakey, most of the people in the front row began to topple over the ones at the back, who then toppled over the ones at their back... and so on so forth. Bamboo against blade, the winner soon became obvious, when Soujirou's shinai gave a dangerous cracking sound and started to develop a split near the hilt, where the sharp kodachi had caught it in defence.

Soujirou's eyes widened slightly, and he quickly broke off contact, landing lightly on the ground, a completely different person from the one who had added a new crater to Kyoto by a single step of his foot just now. He stared mournfully at his damaged shinai, not bothering to look up at the man with the twin kodachis anymore, even though the stranger could now easily chuck a blade at the wanderer and gave him another injury to worry about.

No such thing would be happening, however, for Kamatari had wandered his way to the ring with a few men in tow. "What's going on here?" He shook his head at the drunk men who were sprawled all over the floor from having been on the receiving end of a Shukuchi with nowhere to go. The scythe-wielding spy took one look at the ring, the upturned grass, the crater, Soujirou, and the hooded stranger, and understanding dawned. Beckoning for the men behind him to help some of those drunk people on the floor, Kamatari stared evenly at the stranger, who was, perhaps, not so strange any more. "My dear onmitsu," he smiled sweetly, "is /this/ what you said you wanted to find out about?" He gestured at the messy surroundings.

The man did not reply, only making an action to slide his kodachis back into their holders fluidly. "No," he stated frankly, "but I've gotten the information I needed." He leapt backwards, still with the hood over his face, rendering it unreadable. He turned to glance briefly at Soujirou, then back at Kamatari. "Farewell for now," he muttered carefully, before melding with the shadows in the plains, unseen and unheard.

"Hey!" Kamatari screeched, waving a fist. "Come back here you pathetic block of ice! I'm not done with you yet, Shinomori Aoshi! What, you think you can just come in here and throw the entire place into chaos and then get away with it just because I think you're cute?! You haven't seen the last of me yet, you sad excuse for an onmitsu okashira! You-"

"Kamatari-san..." Soujirou had both hands out in a fanning motion, a silly smile on his face. "... I think he's out of hearing range already. Calm down!"

"Sou-chan!" Kamatari whirled around pointed at the wanderer instead. "Why did you humour that unreasonable slab of wall? Oh! You guys will all be the death of me!" He kicked unhappily at a loose rock and pouted.

"I don't think," Enishi had returned from his temporary hiding place from the Shun Ten Satsu just now, and walked easily towards Soujirou and Kamatari, Kenji in tow, "that was what you originally intended to tell us about 'that block of ice', was it?"

Kamatari's gaze turned from angry to thoughtful within a second. He glanced about around him for a while more, before turning towards the trio and beckoning them closer. When they were within whispering range, the spy sighed, "The Oniwabanshuu have a vital clue about the location of the Yuugure in Kyoto," he explained, "but for some reason, they're not divulging it to the police. Obviously, Saitou is none too pleased about this. He thinks there's something going on about this secrecy..."

The spy breathed.

"And he wants you to find out what it is."

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
3/9/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
I'm so tired (... 4:30am *.*x) *rubs eyes* and I really don't have anything much to say other than - sorry for bad action. -_-x;; My mind just did not move for this chapter because my usual IRC and MSN idea bounceboards were not behaving themselves...

(^_^x = Me, Maiki = My Idea Bounceboard)  
^_^x it's okay about the fanfic  
^_^x i'm stuck with soujirou and aoshi just looking at each other atm  
^_^x maybe i should just make it a quick fight  
* Maiki sweatdrops  
Maiki make them kiss XD  
^_^x ...  
* ^_^x pushes maiki into the well

Now, XD is a person with an imagination too active for her own good, and thus spent a good lot of the day trying to dispel weird images in her head from that bit of conversation alone (yes, there is MORE, and it involves dishes and Shinsengumi loinclothes). *bangs head against wall* *ahem* All right, I think I'm a little more sane now. Let's hope the next chapter turns out better. *shameless plug* Please visit jbramx2's deviantart website to see a wonderful art of Kenji, Sou, and Eni! - jbramx2 . deviantart . com (remove spaces!) XD XD XD

  
kenshin_admirer  
Yes, you're right, it's Aoshi. :D Kenji is a little fighting genius. *huggles him* And he's so cute.

jbramx2  
KYA!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went to see the art - it's so pretty!!! Your line art is so solid and nice!! :D~~~ I'm so honoured *huggles jbramx2* You're right that Soujirou's hard to draw, btw. O.Ox But I think Enishi was the real bugger, his hair stands up at all the wrong directions! XD

April-san  
*points at note pasted on run-down wall* So anyway, quill was really difficult to write in, but I hope Aoshi still remains as sexy as he was in your eyes, because he sure is still like that in mine. *cackles with insane glee* You're smart by taking a few steps back. :D

Shahrezad1  
Yes, it's Aoshi. *giggle*

EEevee  
Definitely, Kaoru punches harder. XD My poor brain cells. I think I levelled the lot of them. *_*x Now I'm just a blathering idiot ogaa!

Silver Nightingale  
*repeats* Yes, it's Aoshi. Heheheh, funny is my middle name. I can't write a serious fic at all, nuh-uh. XD


	20. 19: Aftermath

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

*scribbled cheerfully on a long length of stone wall with chalk and blood*

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 19: Aftermath

  
Kenji had not been paying much attention to what Soujirou and Enishi were talking about with the farmer-guised man they called Kamatari. He was soaking up the surroundings, trying to un-awe himself from the aftermath of Soujirou's fight with the other person whose identity still escaped him for the moment. Only after the conversation turned deathly silent did he return his attention to the adults. He stared questioningly at the sombre expressions on his friends' faces.

"I thought," Soujirou had began, his smile waning considerably as he clutched onto his wounded side, "the Oniwabanshuu and the police had worked hand in hand for this mission from the start?"

"You thought right," was Kamatari's reply, "only, that applied to the past where information was scarce and hardly bore any importance. We've been working to pave a way towards the more substantial information, and I must say we were doing quite well until they pulled a quick one on us." At this point of time, Kamatari's eyes briefly flickered towards Enishi, who was too deep in thought to really notice. The police spy quickly continued, "There is something, or someone, holding them back. We need to find it out as soon as possible, or face dire consequences."

"Dire consequences?" Enishi quirked an eyebrow at the phrase. Kamatari merely winked.

"Classified stuff," he giggled, "I do not want Saitou after my head for saying things I shouldn't."

"Pah," the white-haired man then turned to look away with disdain written on his face, "this is exactly what I meant about the trust factor."

If he had understood what was going on between his two older friends, Soujirou concealed it very well with his almost inane looking smile while still holding onto his injured side. Blood had began dribbling through the bandages and between his fingers, but it did not stop him from next asking, "Is there anything at all you can tell us to get a headstart, Kamatari-san?"

"I don't know, Sou-chan," Kamatari shrugged in a posture of defeat, "do what you want, just get the information out from them." He sighed. "We're running out of time."

His last sentence was spoken with such graveness, nobody deigned to say anything more. After a bout of shifty silence, Kamatari began to be more aware of the surroundings. He groaned softly and put a hand to his forehead. "Well, we're done for tonight here, I suppose." Offering Soujirou a semi-accusing smile, he turned to where his subordinates were busy clearing up the mess. "Hey you guys! Don't stack them up like crates! They're gonna stink up the place! Move them somewhere else! And you over there!" Gradually, his voice and form receded into the orange glow provided by the fire lamps in the plaza. The remaining trio watched the man until they could no longer see him.

They then took to looking at each other.

"Well," Soujirou grinned, "the last we came, some months back, they said their restaurant was under major repairs and wouldn't be ready until at least half a year later!"

"That means they must be hanging out at the temple," Enishi gruffly intoned, all the time staring at Soujirou's progressively messy wound. "However," he continued, still staring, "seeing that you are obviously in no condition to travel, we will blackmail that police spy friend of yours for a nice inn to stay in tonight."

"Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou's tone was ostensibly happy, "I never knew you cared!"

"Go tack yourself against a sword again, see if I care," the man glowered in response. He then skulked off in search of his subject for blackmail. Both Soujirou and Kenji's heads turned in unison to watch the man fade into the background.

"He doesn't like us very much, does he?" Kenji mumbled, eyes fixed on the spot he last saw the white-haired man in.

The blue-clad wanderer smiled. "You just don't know him well enough, Himura-san."

  
------------------------------------------

  
All the years, it turned out, that Enishi spent dealing with the mafia and overlords did not come to want, seeing how he successfully wrung Kamatari for an inn room of a rather substantial size, even for three people. There was a nice table in the corner, with a beautiful screen beside it, a couple of paper lanterns, and a shoji wall cupboard stacked full with futons and blankets. And plenty of room to move around.

Kenji was laying the futons out in no time, whilst Soujirou sat in a corner and happily poked at his wound. Well, 'happily' only because he smiled when he was doing it and did not show any outward indication of pain. Kenji was sure that was not truly the case, but thought the better of asking. After finishing with the futons, he looked up to see that Soujirou was now helping himself to some bandages. Enishi sat in another corner and was brooding thoughtfully to himself.

Deciding who he wanted to talk to was easy.

"You all right?" The boy took to a kneel beside Soujirou uneasily, waiting for his response to continue. The wanderer nodded at Kenji and his smile grew wider.

"The wound was closing up nicely, but the flesh was still tender when Kamatari-san kind of throttled me with his hug," he gestured slightly to the bloodied bandages he had taken off himself, "and then other things happened. Anyway, it's nothing I would worry about, personally, as long as I don't get involved in any massive action the rest of this week!"

There was something about how Soujirou so calmly and cheerfully said what he just said, which made Kenji believe and yet /not/ believe him at the same time. Nevertheless, he watched quietly as the wanderer proceeded to dress his injury. He let his eyes wander, and they landed on the damaged shinai lying beside Soujirou.

Now that he had a good view of the weapon up close, he noticed that the shinai was more than just a seasoned bamboo sword. It had cuts and nicks in every imaginable corner. More than one spot had a major patch over it, which made Kenji boggle at how the thing had been able to hold itself together up till now. He had meant to question Soujirou, but the Tenken was done bandaging himself by the time Kenji's train of thought reached the terminal station, and the wanderer grabbed the shinai to hold it up against the light.

"Yukishiro-san," his voice was quiet, and, if Kenji perceived correctly, laden with a slight tinge of hesitation, "I don't suppose I could try to find someone to patch this up... again?" He ended his sentence with an unsure tone.

Enishi broke away easily from his heavy thinking to offer Soujirou a menacing glare. He looked like he was about to say something nasty and negative in response, but after what must have been a rather fierce internal struggle, he settled for sighing instead. "Yes," his voice was bored and void of emotions, "go ahead. It's not like anything I say /matters/ does it? Especially when it's something to do with that bamboo sword."

"Now, now, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou perked up considerably, and was swinging the sword around cheerfully, "I did listen to you about the enhancement bit!"

"You should count your blessings that you got those enhancements," Enishi's voice was in a slight snarl, "I don't think you would have lasted the first bout of attack against that kodachi if you hadn't."

"Enhancements?" Kenji finally found his voice.

The silence dragged.

"You see," concluding that Enishi wasn't going to explain, Soujirou decided to take over that role, "after one particularly nasty encounter with a pack of fiesty snow wolves, my weapon was not exactly in the best of conditions. In fact, it needed a massive overhaul. To tell you the truth, only the hilt remains from the original weapon." He tapped at the hilt to drive his point home.

"That thing must have one heck of a sentimental value," Kenji mused.

His conversation partner's eyes twinkled, almost playfully. "If only you knew, Himura-san," he commented, vaguely. "You've never handled this shinai before, have you?"

Kenji shook his head. "Should I have?"

"Well," Soujirou's shoulders jerked slightly as he chuckled, "you could, just for knowledge sake." He held the shinai out for the boy, who wondered what kind of knowledge he could possibly gain from handling a bamboo sword. "Go on," the wanderer beckoned. "Oh, but stand up first," his tone became slightly commanding. Seeing no harm in the instruction, Kenji did as told.

He saw the wisdom in the command after he took the half-battered shinai from Soujirou's hands.

The thing must have been at least ten times heavier than what he predicted a shinai of its size weighed. The boy lunged forward immediately and barely managed to stop the sword from crashing a hole in the floor. Soujirou began laughing at the sight, like he had been expecting it all the time, and Kenji swore he saw Enishi turn his head away into the shadows with shaking shoulders. "What the hell?!" The boy managed, with much effort, to hold the shinai in a semblence of a practice stance. "Do you load this thing with gold or something?!"

Finding a bit of his breath through his incessant laughing, Soujirou wiped a tear from his eye and replied, "Not really, Himura-san, but yes, we put some really heavy metal inside, then covered it with the bamboo. Adds to the impact, see?"

"And you've been swinging this thing around like it's a damned feather all this time?" Kenji's mouth had gone into an 'O' shape by now. "And you can run at that inhuman speed with this thing, too??"

"It's not that heavy, Himura-san," Soujirou's practiced smile crept over his face again and he nodded slightly. There was no pretense or arrogance in his tone, however, and Kenji was convinced that those words were his true sentiments. Yet, it did nothing to dispel the young boy's amazement at his friend's strength. "And really, I /do/ need the extra weight to beat more people senseless into orbit," he winked.

"Doesn't matter now, the thing's broken," Enishi's semi-reproving voice sounded out, "like I've told you so many times before, get a real sword for goodness sake. There's only so much you can do with bamboo. Even /if/ it hits ten times harder than normal bamboo. Don't tell me you haven't figured that out by now."

Soujirou glanced briefly at the dark corner Enishi had taken to obscuring himself in. He then looked at the shinai Kenji held in his hands, the young boy staring back at him in the meantime. "I'll see," the wanderer eventually mumbled, stretching his hand out to reclaim his weapon. Once he held it, he fingered it with uncertainty, smile effaced.

"You damn well better," Enishi grumbled his response. "And it's getting late. Tomorrow, we talk more." Already having grabbed a rolled out futon, the man collapsed unceremoniously onto it. "Good night." He closed his eyes, fell silent, remained motionless, and left no room for debate about turning in for the night.

Kenji and Soujirou stared at each other. "What /is/ his problem?!" Kenji whispered fiercely towards the older person.

The accommodating wanderer shrugged helplessly with a long-suffering smile. "Don't worry, Himura-san, he'll be back to normal when he wakes up. Now, shall we follow suit and leave our thoughts for tonight?"

Not waiting for a reply, Soujirou clambered over to a futon and blew out the lantern nearest to it. He missed the questioning glance Kenji threw in his direction, and was about to flop onto the comfortable sheets when the boy's voice stopped him.

"Shukuchi," the voice had said, with a grave intonation, "I always thought it was just common folklore." Kenji turned his head so he could look at the astonished Soujirou in his eyes. "Looks like I was wrong."

"Himura-san..." Soujirou could only blink at the young boy.

"Tell me more about it sometimes," Kenji grinned and jerked a thumb at himself in a pose befitting a teenager of his age, "but until then, I'm turning in before Enishi finds a reason to kill me tomorrow. Good night!"

The final lantern was snuffed out, and a cool, comfortable shadow overtook the large but cosy room.

Soujirou leaned slightly backwards, and his hand met with the bamboo sword he had placed beside him prior. He stole a quick look at the weapon, pursing his lips into a thin line as he pondered the day's events. The moon slowly began to make its presence known in the quaint room, spilling tiny beams through the barred windows to cast an eerie glow on the wooden flooring. One such beam fell upon the hilt of the shinai, which Soujirou was still staring at, and the boyish wanderer had to stifle a gasp of rediscovery.

There were four kanji-letters engraved deeply by the side of the hilt which was caught in the moon's glow. Four letters which had been almost forgotten with the passage of time and utilisation. Warmth crept back into Soujirou's face and he smiled happily. Quickly remembering what Enishi had said about turning in for the night, however, he pat his pillow and laid down on it, smile intact.

While he did not have many fantastic things to say about his past, there certainly had been highlights. And Soujirou had to agree that the bamboo sword was a result of what must have been one of the more enjoyable periods of his life.

He shifted, and moonlight once again fell on the hilt - where the four kanji-letters were.

Kamiya Dojo.

It read.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
10/9/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
Braindead. O.Ox So. Braindead. And blatant fic plugging, buahahahaha! I did mention this fic was loosely spun off of one of my older fics, 'Chronicles of a Rurouni', didn't I? So anyway, at the end of that fic, Kaoru gave Soujirou a shinai from her dojo, which he has carried all the way into this fic! Tee hee hee. Ah, we'll use the shinai and the engraved letters to scare Kenji later, so stay tuned!

  
Silver Nightingale  
O.Ox Thanks so much for giving the action-chapters such high-class treatment! Yes, I purposely made the duel unfair, because if it had been fair, Aoshi would never have been able to even unsheath his kodachi. XD That wouldn't be fun, would it? XD A real sword? O.Ox Hmm... I'll see if it fits in. :D

April-san  
Ah, Maiki has something to say to you:  
Maiki *flashes a thumbs up in April-san's direction* XD  
I think you both should just team up. XD Chalk isn't easy to write in, though. O.Ox I had to replace some of it with my blood. Hope it's not too messy. XD I've been pondering Aoshi's participation for a while, and I'm still not sure if he'll become a regular. It really depends on him. X3

Zeromaru: Chaos Mode  
Gosh, I hope you didn't get too canned from the party. XD Great to see that Aoshi's being recognized! XD

jbramx2  
No no no! *_*x Please don't misunderstand! What I meant was that Enishi as a character is difficult to draw because his hair sticks out at the wrong places, and not that your art got him wrong! No way! In fact, your art got him down just like the original! *_*x I personally can never draw Enishi. XD Of course Iceberg is cute. :3 The Chinese have an idiom: A man's not a man until he's 40!!! XD XD XD

EEevee  
Yes! Romance is nice and everything, but we love RK because it's action-packed too, isn't it?? XD You must introduce me to your bounceboard sometimes. XD

Shahrezad1  
Ah yes, I had Kenshin in mind when I wrote Soujirou's hairband falling. It's just a small cut on Soujirou's face, don't worry, it'll heal. XD Yes, new weapons are in line!

EK  
Welcome back! *huggle* I'm honoured you still think the fic is of substantial quality!

Espi  
So do I qualify for the Shukuchi Fic Writer Award? XD

sasori  
KYAAA!! XD I got your email, will reply soonz. :D~~ We must set up the Wanderers' Fan Club!! And make Soujirou and Enishi skinny dive in the Nigeria Falls! Oh dear. Did I say that out loud /again/? X3


	21. 20: The Search

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

A/N: OHMIGOSH OMIGOSH OMIGOOOOOOOOSSSH!! vERy, VerY, VERy high on potato chips curreNtlY. BEWARE INSANITY!! GUAAHAHAH!!!

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 20: The Search

  
"Although we know they're hanging out at a temple..." Soujirou lifted a hand to shade his eyes from the blasting rays of the sun, "... it just occurred to me that we don't know /which/ temple in particular in the entire Kyoto that they could possibly be bunking out in!"

Morning after the night at the Kyoto plaza had been peaceful and normal thus far. The trio spent a bit of time meandering around the Kyoto streets, generally getting into the mood. There was still a careless air of tradition and of a war long-past lingering in the city, and the people moved at a pace three times slower than usual. To say the least, Kyoto was a motley mix of the edgy past, and unforeseeable future.

"Maybe we can go to the one nearest to the restaurant," Enishi suggested, not as bothered by the heat as Soujirou was - considering he donned more cloth. He kicked a loose rock on the ground while passing through the path.

"And if they're not there?" Kenji continued kicking the stone, which had landed before his feet. The stone flew over a bush and was never seen again.

"Then we go to another one?" Their smiling companion spoke up, only to regress into slight laughing fits after that. "Considering how many temples there are in the city, I think we're pretty much a lost cause here. We've been walking for a bit since morning, too."

"Damned ninjas, always making themselves so obscure," Enishi cursed at nothing in particular. "They could have at least left us a clue."

"Well, them being in a temple is clue enough," the impatient ex-mafia boss' tranquil partner stated cheerfully, "now it's just up to us to make some choice elimination and information gathering to come to the right conclusion!"

Enishi shot the boyish wanderer a questioning stare. "I may not have been directly involved with intelligence operations before, but I have enough common sense to know that /three/ people cannot possibly uncover an established organization's tracks, especially if said organization had meant to remain under cover."

"That's why I said 'choice' elimination, Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou's smile stretched wider. "Like for example," he hurried forward to stop a travelling merchant in his tracks, "excuse me, good sir! We're looking for a certain temple in this city, and we wonder if you would be so kind to help us!" He dazzled the merchant with his smile, and gave him no time to respond as he continued, "I wonder, sir, if you've seen someone about this height," the wanderer gestured a height almost a head taller than himself, "who dresses in dark, shadey colours, has dark, shadey hair and generally moves around with icicles in his wake, come down to town to procure groceries or wares of any sort?"

The merchant took all but three seconds to recover from his disbelief. "Excuse me?" He finally blurted out.

"No?" Soujirou was still smiling. "Ah, I am sorry for wasting your time, then! Good day and good bye!" He bowed and quickly swivelled around to face his two slack-jawed companions. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"You moron!" Enishi stepped forward and cleanly thwapped him over the head. "That wasn't even funny! You should know better than I do that that forest of death will /never/ let himself be seen buying /groceries/, of all things! What an utterly pointless question to ask!"

"It sure was!" The blue-clad smiley face immediately responded with a hearty laugh. Then, in a slightly more serious tone, he leaned forward and grinned, "Nice to see you back to normal, Yukishiro-san."

Enishi blinked.

"Food!" Kenji drew both his companion's back to the street, where several road-side food peddlers were calling out for interested customers. Without waiting for an response, the boy rampaged his way to one particularly crowded store and practically drooled over what was on display. "I'll take this, this, and this!" He pointed and made wild gestures. At this point of time Soujirou and Enishi both approached the raveneous boy carefully and looked questioningly at him. "I'm hungry!!" Was Kenji's response to their stares of disbelief. "Let's eat first and talk later, okay? Okay??"

"Uuummm..." Soujirou put a hand behind his head and smiled nervously. "... aah, ugh, okay?" He was at a loss before the many faces of Himura Kenji. It seemed like the boy switched moods every hour of the day. Said boy was currently grinning away happily and taking his time to pick his desired meal. The two adults exchanged a singular glance of wonder. And they were hardly to be blamed, for not twenty minutes ago, the boy's countenance had been a piece of unresponsive stone set in a feral frown.

Shrugging, the blue-clad wanderer bent slightly to examine the menu as well. His hair began to slip over his shoulders, having been in that state of mis-management from since the stint last night. Not really bothered by it, he hadn't been giving it much thought. Yet. "What are you getting, Himura-san?"

"Food," the boy stated simply. He also took the chance to cast a cursory glance around. "Doesn't look like there are seats for us here. I know!! How about we go picnic somewhere?" He turned to grin again at Soujirou, who was by now positively fearing for Kenji's health and sanity. He was about to reach over and feel for the boy's temperature when a bout of loud, raucous whistling burst out from their side. 

All three turned to look at the origin of the wolf whistles. There was a table of men on their left who clamoured together, and were not embarrassed enough to stop whistling even though everybody in the inn had their eyes on them.

From their line of sight, it was really not too difficult to see who they were whistling at.

"That's the fifth time today, Soujirou," Kenji kept his tone even, "in broad daylight too, I might add."

He received no answer. Soujirou just kept smiling.

"Hey sweety-pie!" One of the decidedly more drunk bozos lifted a cup of sake with a lusty smirk on his face. "Wanna join'us fer a coupla' shots? Eheh'..."

Enishi ducked slightly and whispered conspirationally to the shorter Kenji, keeping his voice, however, loud enough for Soujirou to overhear, "One more time and we're buying him a kimono. I swear. Or at least a nice, frilly ribbon that fits."

"Yukishiro-san..." Soujirou whirled around in record time and spoke through gritted teeth. There was a not-so-friendly smile on his face this time, and he held a hand outstretched, "lend me your sword."

"Hey..." Kenji watched, dumbstruck, as Enishi handed the sword over without any qualms whatsoever. "... It's too early in the day for this..." He trailed off, noticing that Soujirou was not paying attention.

"Don't worry, Himura-san, I'm not going to do anything," with the ease of a practiced swordsman, Soujirou hurled the sword, sheath and all, towards the group of guffawing men, knocking each and every one squarely on their foreheads with a fantastic 'CLING' sound, using the adjoined plaited red thread to manipulate the flying weapon, "too serious," he finished, jerking the sword back into his grasp. The formerly drunk men dropped like dead flies over the table and on the ground. "Thank you, Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou grinned and passed the weapon back to its rightful owner.

"Aww," Enishi took his sword back with an unreadable expression on his face, "why'd you do that for? A kimono would have..." he did not deem it healthy to continue that statement with the kind of smile Soujirou was flashing him with, so he stopped abruptly. "Nevermind." The older person shouldered his sword and turned to Kenji instead. "So, you were saying something about a picnic?"

  
------------------------------------------

  
A small hill with a clear outcrop caught Kenji's eye as they circled the fringe of Kyoto. The birds were chirping happily overhead, and the lush green leaves warded off most of the sun. It felt comfortable enough to sit beneath the large tree, among its ancient roots, so Kenji did just that. Nearby, his two companions followed suit, and all three settled down to a quiet meal by the countryside.

"How peaceful," Kenji couldn't help commenting as his body relaxed into the surroundings. He gazed outwards at the city arrayed beneath his vantage point of view and took another sip of drink. He turned slightly to catch his companions' eyes, finding Soujirou smiling at him in his weird little way. There was an uncomfortable silence dwelling over the trio, and besides what Kenji had just spoke, nobody seemed to want to say anything.

Kenji was not ignorant of the fact that Kyoto appeared to be a place of importance for both his companions, but he did not want to pry. Trying to find some common ground, however, he spoke up, hesitantly, "Have you guys been to Kyoto before this?"

"Of course," Soujirou said plainly, after a few seconds of pause. "It holds special memories."

Silence.

Getting impatient at the lack of control he held over the situation, Kenji opened his mouth again to address - specifically this time - his concerns. He did not quite manage speak, for at the same time, Enishi pointed at a spot behind him. "Look," he plainly commanded.

Although he was not entirely pleased to, Kenji glared at Enishi first, then turned around to look.

There, wagging its fluffy tail like a happy puppy, was the little silver fox Kenji knew he had seen in Tokyo.

He dropped his food in surprise.

The fox then happily atacked the rolling fishball, sitting straight and looking up at Kenji again after it had swallowed it. "Hey!!" Kenji made a mad grab for the furball, succeeding in grabbing a handful of its flesh and fur around the back of its neck. He lifted the fox up to meet it at eye level. "What IS it with you and taking food from me?! You're a fox, dammit! Find your own food!"

The creature looked dolefully at the boy for a moment as it dangled in his hands. Then suddenly, without warning, it snapped out and grabbed the rest of the fishballs Kenji was holding, taking Kenji's momentarily surprise to shake itself free from his grasp. It landed on the soft grass and turned around with what Kenji swore had to be a smirk, before bounding off into the distance, stick of fishball still hanging freely from its jaws.

"Why that little- !!" Kenji wasted no time in leaping to his feet and giving chase.

"Ah, Himura-san," Soujirou held a futile hand out at the boy's receding figure, "we still have some more... food..." He stopped when he realized that Kenji could no longer be seen.

Enishi was already halfway to tracing the boy's footsteps, and Soujirou scratched his head with a small pout.

"Doesn't anyone ever know how to enjoy a quiet, peaceful meal anymore?"

  
------------------------------------------

  
The chase ended near the fringe of the forest surrounding the outskirts of Kyoto. By that time, it was no longer 'running-after-bad-fox-for-stolen-food'. Rather, it had become a 'chase-to-the-finish-for-stolen-pride' affair, seeing that the fox had happily gulped down the stick of fishball somewhere in the middle of the chase. Kenji was fired up by sheer willpower, but colour was visibly starting to drain from his face. Soujirou and Enishi had no problems keeping up, and did so for it amused them to no end how far and fast Kenji could lose his composure over a little fox. At arriving near the edge of the forest, however, the fox suddenly made a sharp turn behind a large trunk and vanished without a trace.

"Ooh, damn that little thing!" Kenji slammed his fist against the bark of the tree, finally bending down to pant and wheeze. "It's not fair!" He whined.

"Now now, Himura-san," Soujirou approached the boy warily, wondering if he would bite at him just out of sheer frustration, "we still have some food left over, so..."

As usual, it was Enishi who noticed it first. His eyes strayed from his two companions towards the rustic looking building situated just beyond the foliage. Immediately, they widened. Blinking his shock away, the white-haired man stepped away and out into the open, ignoring the questioning glances Kenji and Soujirou were throwing in his general direction. It was not long before Enishi stood before the entrance of the building, an unreadable expression etched across his thoughtful features.

Soujirou joined him after a while. The boyish wanderer glanced upwards at the arched pillars which overlooked the pathway. He blinked, and looked at the wooden doorway alongside his frosty companion.

"What're you guys looking at?" Kenji's irritated voice brought them back to the real world. "It's just a temple."

Smiling, the Tenken replied, "You're right, Himura-san. It /is/ a temple."

"So?" Kenji was still miffed at his inability to catch the fox thief.

"Do you remember what we were perhaps looking for this morning?" Soujirou tilted his head and continued, patiently.

"A temple?" The young boy was quick to respond, before realization dawned. "Oh. OOH. A temple," he then turned to join his comrades in staring at the temple. The temple sweatdropped nervously.

"What a coincidence?" Soujirou smiled.

"It's a start," Enishi shrugged, walking forward and entering the courtyards. He looked around. "We have to start somewhere."

On his cue, Kenji and Soujirou entered the temple grounds as well, peering about themselves meekly. There were hardly anybody inside, just a couple of darkly-dressed servants slowly strolling along the rectangular corridors bordering the almost barren looking garden. The path led straight towards the main shrine, and a shrine maiden stood there, sweeping the leaves which had fallen onto the courtyards up with great concentration.

"Shall we start by asking her, then?" Soujirou's beam rivalled the sun.

Enishi had already begin moving down the path towards the maiden. His two companions were about to follow suit when they saw the shrine maiden tense visibly. Not two seconds later, a rain of kunais splattered across the stone pavement, embedding themselves where Enishi would have been had he not backed off in time. A look of incredulity was drawn over his face for a moment, before recognition seeped in.

At the same time, the maiden turned around, still in a defensive pose. Her cautious face quickly dissolved into that of surprise when she saw who it was she had just attacked.

The girl pointed.

Enishi pointed.

"You!"

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
19/10/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N:  
Well that took a month... o_Ox and, no prizes for guessing who the shrine maiden is! :P

  
kenshin_admirer  
Kaoru gave him the shinai. :D You can read the backstory of that in my page if you have time! Thanks for the correction, too! I'm such a dufus! That's why I need more people like you to pick on me! XD

Zeromaru: Chaos Mode  
Whee! *employs zeromaru as fic host* You ask good questions! Definitely make a better host than me. XD

EEevee  
Oooh, that's great! :D I'd just be glad enough that there are people reading the fic enough to enjoy it. Yes! Shocker for Kenji coming soon!

Shahrezad1  
Aoshi and shrines mix very well, I suppose. :D For one thing, they're both very quiet! XD

Silver Nightingale  
Yes! Kenji and the shinai will play important part in the ultimate revelation. XD I hope you found this update satisfactory too!

sasori  
Yes sure! Huggle him all you want! :D I'm sorry I haven't replied your email at length yet. :( I will soon! But I'd just like to say that I'm really enjoying your OTS continuation. :D More, I say!!

April-san  
Aaaah don't worry! I took my own sweet time *avoids punches and slaps from all directions* to recover the lost blood. :D Orororo... so someone here /has/ read that stupid story before!! *_*x Yes, more Aoshi, coming up! XD

EK  
Thanks for still reading the fic! School must be a drag for you... but keep working hard! :D

jbramx2  
Tee hee hee! Yes, Enishi's embarrassed! XD Onwards to the next chapter, where everyone's favourite *ahem*-girl makes her appearance! WHEE~~

cardinal  
m(_ _)m Thank you so much! Kooky dialogue! Yes! XD I love kooky dialogue. :D

lebleuphenix  
Yup, banter is good in fics. :D Weasal-girl? Don't look now, but I who's that over there *points*? Hmmm...

Angrybee  
Wahahahah! XD I'm glad you know how to make a serious situation utterly funny. XD *rattles chain along with angrybee* WOOO!


	22. 21: Shocker

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 21: Shocker

  
Kenji knew that voice sounded too, too familiar for him to be comfortable anymore. His position behind Soujirou, who was slightly behind Enishi, however, gave him no leeway for greater insight.

Enishi shifted first. He lowered his finger and appeared to be contemplating something. "So," he began in a slow, deliberate intone, "ninja-brat's finally decided to retire and do something more lady-like? Nice priestess uniform there, by the way." He finished his sentence just in time to knock an amok kunai away with his longsword.

"Who're you calling a brat?!" The girl seethed, and Kenji's eyes grew saucer-wide with recognition. He took an involuntary step backwards. "I'll show you," the voice continued, as she flung kunai after kunai towards the white-haired ex-mafia boss, "what this," who, however, was not too concerned, knocking each and every kunai away without even deigning to shift his weight, "brat..." she braced herself for her final bout of attack, a storm of eight kunais all at once, "can do!"

Immediately sensing danger, Enishi knocked the barrage of the first four kunai away, where they clinkered messily onto the ground, and spun sidewards away from the next set of four kunai. Being the one standing directly behind Enishi, Soujirou's smile vanished when the whistling of sharp objects through the air forced him to pay more attention. It was back quickly, however, as he side-stepped easily, out of danger's way.

Which left Kenji to deal with the problem at hand.

"Eeks!" The boy immediately lifted the metal rod he had been holding loosely in his hands. He managed, with much success, to knock three of the ferocious kunais away, but as it was, that was his best shot. He watch in slow-motion horror as the last kunai continued on its path of doom towards his head.

Of course, the kunai never made it that far.

"Oh dear," Soujirou was saying, his hand having easily caught the flying dagger, "you shouldn't let children play with sharp, tiny objects, Misao-san!"

Kenji stopped covering his eyes and found himself confronted with the very sight he dreaded confronting. Nevertheless, he was quite unable to stop his voice from crying out, "O-... Obasan!"

Finally noticing the redhead, Misao breathed sharply. "Kenji!" She was in no lesser state of shock.

Overhead, the birds stopped chirping, and a light breeze picked up. Kenji's jaw was slack as he stared at Misao, who was staring back with an equally baffled expression on her face. Neither of them appeared to understand what was going on.

While at the sidelines, Soujirou's smile became a grin, and Enishi was trying hard not to burst out laughing.

"Obasan..." Kenji finally broke the silence. "... Obasan... your style of greeting people... hasn't changed at all!" He exclaimed. All around him, the adults bodyfaulted. "Must you always throw kunais everytime you see me?" The boy, however, paid no heed to them and instead chose to stare at the daggers lying across the pathway. "I swear, if you weren't such good friends with my mother, I would have thought you were out to murder me!"

Misao picked herself up from the floor and laughed nervously. "Now now, Kenji, I was training you! How could you ever have survived Yahiko's drills if you hadn't had to always be on the lookout for my daggers?"

Before Kenji could make his intelligent and sarcastic reply, Soujirou's loud whispering interrupted the duo. "Yukishiro-san... did you /hear/ that??" He was iterating his words carefully, while deliberately throwing furtive glances at Kenji and Misao, "Himura-san called Misao-san 'obasan' and she didn't throttle him into next week!"

"Yes, I heard that," Enishi's respond, although not as dramatically played out as Soujirou's, was tinged with the same kind of amusement.

"Do you /suppose/ they're related??!" The boyish wanderer's smile was absolutely evil.

"I suppose," Enishi shrugged and looked away. Yes, he had an evil smirk on his face as well.

Their conversation evoked two different reactions. Kenji quite literally turned white in his face, fear and confusion gripping him from inside. Did they perhaps already know about his lineage? Misao, on the other hand, was almost glowering with disbelief.

"You guys," she took a step forward, one hand on the temple broom and the other on her waist, "don't tell me you don't know who-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" Kenji's screak drowned out whatever Misao was going to say next. "Yes! All right! Good! Great! Very nice!" He made mad waving motions and threw himself in between the three others. "What were we here for again? Ahah! Information!" He pointed up at the skies, then turned to face the taken aback Misao. "Obasan, information!!"

A crow flew overhead with a loud cry.

"Ahem," Soujirou cleared his throat and took a step forward so he stood just next to the flustered Kenji. He did not address the boy, however, smiling benignly at the shrine-maiden-for-the-day instead. "Misao-san," there was no humour in his voice anymore, "I think you should know what we're here for."

There was a long pause, in which the ninja tapped the edge of her broom against the floor. She stared long and hard at her audience, especially at Kenji, who refused to catch her eye. She had not really been expecting the wanderers to drop by today, per se, but she knew they would be coming sooner or later. Okina had told her as much. Still, it was a little more than a bad surprise to find Kenji included in the package. There were many things Misao wanted to ask the boy at the moment, but the atmosphere didn't seem to permit it. She decided that she would drag the boy off in private later and interrogate him until she was satisfied with the answers. In the meantime, however, she had some queries to clear. She lowered her broom and sighed.

"I've told you," the girl began, tucking the handle of the broom under one arm and waving the other around, "many times now. I only know as much as you do about 'them'. Whatever information I have, you have them all."

"Somehow that's not very convincing," Enishi's eyes narrowed.

"Misao-san," there was obvious panic in Soujirou's tone, "there's no need to hide it from us anymore. Kamatari-san has told us all about it - for the sake of the people, please, tell us everything you know. You know better than we do, how serious this matter is, don't you?"

Misao had turned to look away after that, frowning ever so slightly. Her grip on the broom tightened and, as she seemed to consider something, her expression changed from that of determined denial, to a torn look of battling loyalties. Neither of the others spoke, preferring to grant her the space for the consideration she appeared to badly need at the moment. Finally, they were rewarded, when the girl turned and afforded all of them a hard stare.

"This," she motioned for them to come closer, which they did, discreetly, "stays here." When all of them gave her a confused blink, she continued quietly, "I'm not actually in charge of the information gathering for the event this time round."

"..." Enishi glowered, "That police spy told us you were."

"Yes," the ninja closed her eyes and shrugged, "that's why Jiiya wanted you to believe, it seems."

"The Oniwabanshuu doesn't appear to like the police very much," Soujirou remarked wryly.

"It's either that," Enishi rolled his eyes and huffed softly, "or they don't favour certain individuals who are also participating in this scheme."

Although Kenji maintained his tranquility throughout the discussion, his curious eyes were already darting to and fro his companions, quietly assessing the fresh assault of information. As such, he noticed that when Enishi finished that particular statement of his, Soujirou's breathing hitched slightly, and the boyish wanderer turned to glance in horrified wonder at his closer comrade. Kenji knew Enishi was aware that Soujirou was staring, but the older person chose to act nonchalant.

Soujirou was about to open his mouth to ask Enishi something, when Misao's next words stopped them all.

"Aoshi-sama," her voice was audibly restrained, "is the one in charge this time."

Kenji could smell the astonishment.

"Shinomori-san??" Soujirou's tone was that of amused disbelief.

"That block of immovable temple stone??" Enishi's tone was nowhere better sounding.

"Ojisan?" Even Kenji balked. When Misao shot him a glare which promised Terrible Things, he took a step backwards and laughed nervously. "But... but, Ojisan hardly ever says two sentences at a go... and I've never seen him go anywhere but at the Aoiya and the dojo..." He caught the Look of Doom on Misao's face and resisted the urge to burst into tears there and then. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say all that! I'm sorry, Obasan!! Please don't peg me to the clothesline overnight again!!!"

With Soujirou trying with desperate disability to calm the presently bawling boy down, and Enishi staring with a slack jaw at the scene, Misao flicked her hair behind her with calm poise. "Watch your words next time, Kenji, or I'll throw you into the winter well next," her pleasant voice, coupled with her soft, gentle accent, made the boy bawl louder.

Enishi turned to face Misao. "You big bully," he deadpanned.

"Bully?" The ninja grinned, "I call it discipline, actually."

"Same difference, when /you're/ the one administering it," Enishi shook his head.

"Anyway," Misao returned to donning a serious countenance, "it's true." A sigh. "Aoshi-sama is wholly in charge. To be perfectly honest, I was very surprised too, when he offered to take up the project when we were approached. Since then, I can tell that he's been on the fly like never before. He either really enjoys gathering information about this gang..."

"Or has a personal stake in the matter," Enishi finished for the girl, who nodded hesitantly. "How long have you guys been on their tail?"

"More or less since the same time you were asked to work on it, or so the crab-head tells us," was Misao's reply.

"That's one hell of a lot of time for an elite force to track down an organization that's the size of a prefecture," the white-haired man was singularly unimpressed. "And you're still telling us you don't know anything?"

"I've already told you guys everything I know," Misao looked like she was ready to throttle Enishi for insulting her people. "And I only know what Jiiya and Aoshi-sama tells me. Like I'm supposed to /question/ them about it?"

Always one to be rising to the challenge, Enishi looked at the ninja straight in her eyes, retorting, "You had your suspicions. You could have brought them up. Ninjas are supposed to be observant and highly perceptive. And they're supposed to trust each other," his eyes narrowed.

"I trust them," Misao's voice was steely, "and they trust me too. This trust, however, includes trusting that they will have a perfectly good reason why they do certain things that do not always seem right to those who do not have all the information."

The little staring competition continued.

Until someone from the corridor coughed for attention.

"Jiiya..." Misao relaxed when she saw who it was. Following her cue, everybody else took a glance at the old Okina, blending into the temple surroundings perfectly with his dark clothes and demure outlook.

The old man had not changed much from since his Aoiya days, except that he now moved around with slightly less nimbleness, the peace of the era evidently seeping into his being. Regardless, he gave everybody in the garden of the shrine a hearty smile, waving slightly at Misao. "Misao! How could you let the guests stand out there in the scorching sun?"

Misao made an 'are-you-serious?!' face.

"Whatever it is, the garden is no place for a talk like this," the old man started to walk into the dark interiors of the rustic temple, "this way, please, good gentlemen."

There was a slight pause, but Misao quickly threw her hesitation away and followed the old man into the hall, almost with a happy bounce in her step. Soujirou and Enishi exchanged a brief glance of wonderment, before the white-haired man shrugged and followed along, grabbing the semi-dazed Kenji along the way. The boy was too stupefied to protest the manhandling.

Soujirou, too, made as if to follow the rest. He stopped and turned, however, just in time to see the back of someone clad with the dark, blue shrine uniform slip quietly out of the main entrance.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
28/10/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
So I was just counting... this fanfic is going to stretch for at least 10 more chapters... /at least/... Is that a good or bad thing?! O_Ox I don't know anymore... Yes, this is a slow moving chapter. I was trying to get used to writing Misao. _x I hope she turned out all right! *_*x

  
kenshin_admirer  
Having travelled together for quite some time, I assumed Soujirou has used Enishi's sword before, therefore the ease. :D His shinai is still with him, it's just being unobtrusive at the moment. XD

jbramx2  
Bahahahah I'm glad you found the chapter funny. XD I wasn't too confident at first...

liemtenshi  
Yes, it's Misao! XD

Shahrezad1  
Coincidence eh? :D I think the fox thinks otherwise. XD Tee hee hee!

Veleda  
I hope I didn't disappoint in my portrayal of Misao. O.Ox

April-san  
Oh dear, now Enishi is really going to buy him that kimono. XD Soujirou with hair down? Probably looks like Megumi... except he has bigger eyes and is... cuter. XD *avoids rotten tomatoes from Megumi fans* Thank for the potato chips! *munches*

EEevee  
Yes, poor Sou. :D That's not all he's going to go through, though. *laughs maniacally*

Sheeshasan  
*huggle* I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Stay tuned! :D

Espi  
Hmm... a cookie is okay... *passes Espi one* :D

Angrybee  
Well the fox and the shrines are closely related, so it should be quite easy to make the connection. XD Glad you're still with us! :D

Souten  
Will do! :D Mystery of the fox... eto... unveilved... soon. XD

sasori  
*glomp* I've been reading your profile and squealing with delight everytime I do. :D~~~ Yes, twists aplenty. And don't starve me from your fics! *grovels before sasori*

chibi-chan  
Yes sir! Hope you liked this update!


	23. 22: Presentiments

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 22: Presentiments

  
Kenji felt like he was taking an excruciatingly prolonged descent into a bottomless pit of torture.

Nobody, not even Soujirou, had uttered a single word since the entry of the inner shrine proper. All Kenji could hear were the light sounds their socks made as they scrapped across the wooden planks constituting the main part of the shrine corridor. Occasionally a darkly clad servant shuffled by and bowed to acknowledge the group, but was soon on his or her way. Coupled with the fact that temples in generally were known to be quiet, the boy carefully bit the underside of his lips, trying to calm himself down.

The silence was, frankly speaking, killing him.

There was also the added fact that Kenji was walking alongside Misao, trying to guess and second guess what was in her mind. Not daring to bring his eyes up to meet with hers, the boy took to attempting to find an interesting spot on his worn socks which he could stare at for the rest of the painful journey to wherever it was Okina was going to bring them to. No matter what, however, he knew he was not going to be able to escape from Misao's interrogation. He could, of course, delay it, but that might just drag his torment out even further. He had always been terrified of his aunt, and he made no qualms about showing it to anyone who cared to watch.

The little redhead only realized that he was very nearly bathing in his own cold sweat when Okina signalled for their little entourage to stop. He slid the shouji of a vaguely empty room aside and gestured inwards. There were no questions. Everybody obeyed to the letter. It appeared to Kenji that they had been through this countless times.

Only when the shouji was firmly slid shut, and when Okina brought himself into a kneeling position carefully across the three newcomers, did the words start to form.

"You better have a good excuse ready, ribbon-goatee," Enishi's voice, although quiet, was lined with a vehemence even Soujirou cringed visibly at. "For running us on a fool's errand for a few good months."

Okina, his eyes being shut all the time Enishi had been talking, opened a single right eye and directed his even glance at the unhappy younger person. "You look like you need some tea, young man." Opening both his eyes, the old ninja turned to address his protege, "Misao, get them all some tea. We have some good leaves in the main kitchen."

While Enishi's eyes narrowed at Okina's blatant disinterest in the topic at hand, Misao gave the group a cursory glance, stopping to glare slightly at Kenji - who shuddered in fear - before getting up without a word and exiting to room to run the errand.

The door slid shut for a second time.

Relaxing into his seated position on the floor, Enishi chose to scrutinize the meditating old man, instead of shooting his mouth off again. Or at least, until he could find a good question to trick the sly old fox into divulging the necessary information. As his thoughts returned to what Misao had said earlier, however, he didn't quite know if Okina was the right person to ask about this, even. For one, he seemed doubly more determined than Misao to keep information from them. Once again, Enishi felt like he was pursuing a lost cause, and he had no patience for that. Before he could open his mouth to query for a second time, however, Okina spoke up first.

"The night blossoms at this time of the year is extraordinary," the words did not quite match the mood, but Okina said it nevertheless, "have you seen it?" He opened his eyes to watch the reactions of his guests.

Soujirou and Enishi exchanged an 'oh-no' glance between themselves, seemingly sure where this would lead to. It was after an awkward pause that Soujirou replied, "Not... really, Kashiwazaki-san. But-"

"Then do try it tonight," Okina promptly cut the boyish wanderer short, wagging a finger to create mock anticipation. "It is a sight you should never miss when you come to Kyoto."

Kenji watched with amusement, as in the next second, both Soujirou and Enishi brought their hands up to cover their ears, discreetly inching backwards. Another second passed, and Kenji regretted that he did not mimic the action.

"AND I KNOW THE BEST SPOT FOR NIGHT BLOSSOMS IN KYOTO!!" Okina burst into action, transforming from a sombre, kneeling figure into a raving tour-guide wannabe. Behind him, the obligatory Map of Kyoto rolled downwards from one of the ceiling beams. The old man conjured a pointer out from nowhere and smacked it against said map. "HERE! THERE! AND THERE TOO!" His voice had not gone down a notch in volume. Kenji took the pause to shake himself out of shock and to join his comrades in huddling in a corner at the furthest edge of the barren room, hands over his ears. Okina, on the other hand, continued without let-up, "AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW! WE'LL EVEN GO ON A STAR-GAZING JOURNEY DOWN TO THE RIVER! IT'LL BE FABULOUS! YOU'LL NEVER SEE KYOTO IN THE SAME LIGHT AFTER- EEEKS!"

It was a tiny, delicate teacup which knocked the old man out from his ridiculously loud speech. The same time Okina crashed unceremoniously onto the ground, Misao slammed the tray she carried down, very hard, disturbing the already very disturbed teacups, and the single teapot which was, with the slamming action, conveniently emptied of nearly half its contents. Not to be deterred, the girl picked the cup she had thrown at Okina up, and set it out along with the rest of the cutlery. It was at this point of time that the trio began to crawl back to take their proper seats, heaving collective sighs of relief.

"Really, Jiiya," Misao shook her head, still frowning, "taking dangerous people like them around on a night tour? I think you must be really senile."

The old man simply 'hohoho'ed and stroked his goatee, tugging at the ribbon he tied there in the meantime. Kenji stared at the tea Misao had just served him with, wondering if this was a form of punishment he had yet to have knowledge of. Soujirou accepted the cup like the gracious person he was, but set it in front of him and simply smiled at it. Enishi was openly eyeing Misao suspiciously, taking great pains to sniff at the tea to ensure that it wasn't poisoned. Misao was just about to whip out a few more kunais when Okina took a sip, then gulped his tea down. Watching him closely for any side-effects, and then noticing none, the trio opposite him quiet started sipping their tea as well.

"Aaaah, good as usual, Misao," Okina was saying, "your tea-brewing keeps getting better by the day."

"What with the way your silent leader drinks tea, I would be surprised if she hasn't," Enishi snorted. He ignored Misao's low growl of displeasure, although he kept himself conveniently hidden behind Soujirou from where he sat, in case another kunai attack happened.

"Calm down, both of you," Soujirou knew from experience that if he didn't defuse the tension between these two awfully stubborn people soon, he would most likely be the one taking all the damage later. And as for Kenji, he withdrew further into himself. "And," Soujirou continued, turning to look at Misao, "I think your old grandfather does have a point..." he sipped his tea tentatively, before flashing his trademarked smile at the girl, "... the tea you make is really getting better!"

"Oh really," Misao, nevertheless, remained unimpressed, "then would someone like to tell me why Kenji," she slapped a hand down beside the pale-faced boy, who jumped and tried to curl up, "isn't taking a single sip of it?"

Kenji, once again, resisted the urge to wail like a newborn baby.

"All right, that's enough," Okina finally spoke up, his fingers still lightly stroking his goatee. "Enough fun for today. We have serious matters at hand."

This provoked the pivotal alleviation that appeared to be sorely needed for the situation at hand. All eyes and attention turned to the oldest person in the group for further instruction and clarification. The silence enshrouding the room was almost suffocating with anticipation. Okina eventually turned to address Misao again.

"Misao," there was a graveness in his tone that demanded not to be ignored. The younger ninja tilted her head slightly at this and stared questioningly at her elder.

"Jiiya?" Misao was speaking with suspended disbelief. After all the months of silence - of which she did not know what for, but believed in him nevertheless - was Okina really ready to reveal what the Oniwabanshuu had kept hidden from official sources?

"Misao..." The old man nodded seriously. "This is an important matter..."

He allowed the silence to drag on for a few more seconds.

And then he struck a pose.

"Dinner, Misao! We need to prepare dinner immediately!" He either did not notice everybody else around him double over in shock, or did not care to show that he did. "We've got extra guests today, we need more food than usual! Get to the kitchen immediately and tell Okon and Omasu! Don't forget to help them out too! And-"

The loud ranting was cut short by Enishi's fluid rise from the floor. "I have much better things to do than to stay around and listen to an old madman rave," was all he said, calmly, as he slid the shouji door aside and stepped out, not bothering to close it after him.

"Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou would have gone after him had he not felt it was a seeming lost cause for the moment. He sighed, shaking his head slightly, by which time Misao had already gotten to her feet and was half dragging a terrified Kenji out by the scruff of his gi.

"All right Kenji, we have A LOT of things to catch up on, don't you think so?" Although Misao was smiling very sweetly, Soujirou pitied the utterly frightened boy in her tow. "That's why," the ninja continued, "you're helping out with dinner tonight." Any further conversation between the duo muffled into the background, as did their footsteps, when Misao clamped the shouji shut. Soujirou politely refrained from chortling.

A sipping sound made Soujirou return to staring at Okina. "Looks like you're still the most peaceful lad of the lot," the old sir stated airily.

"Well, it is my honour to be remarked as such," Soujirou's smile grew an inch, "given that you know much more about my past than the average person on the street."

The old man settled his even gaze on the composed youth seated opposite him. He set the cup aside and smiled, slightly. "I, unlike a certain overly practical coot sitting somewhere in this temple, meditating away, at least believe that people, even those with shady pasts, can change - sometimes for the better."

Having an idea of which 'practical coot' in particular Okina could be referring to, Soujirou nonetheless kept his thoughts to himself. "Kashiwazaki-san," he spoke up, still smiling happily, like he was discussing the good weather, "I wonder if you have ever noticed anything amiss with the people in this temple, during your duration here?"

Okina stopped in his action of gathering the teacups onto the tray and eyed the younger man. "What do you mean?" He cautiously phrased his words.

"Hmm..." Soujirou thought for a while, "... like for example, do you take note of the servants who leave the temple grounds, and for what purpose do they do it? Or whether there could be some suspicious... newcomers to the shrine who could have... another motive besides penitence?"

The experienced ninja only looked one more time at Soujirou's smiling face, before bursting into hearty laughter. Recovering quickly, however, he cleared his throat and chuckled, "When they say 'Still waters run deep,' I shall have a new person to think about besides Aoshi, won't I?" Delving into a more serious visage, the man continued, "It is as you have observed, boy." He finished putting the cups in the tray and rose to full height.

"We are not the only ones watching the enemies from within."

Soujirou blinked at the man, who was making his way out of the room with the tray of drinks in his hands before Soujirou could even stand to follow. "Excuse me..." The wanderer got up on one knee before Okina turned around and nodded at him.

"I see you need a new change of clothes," Okina was nodding at Soujirou's unhappy looking blue gi, which was torn in more places than one and revealed the bandages he wore underneath. The smiley face laughed, embarrassed. "Well we have some spare clothing lying around you could use," Okina continued, walking out of the room, "follow me," he commanded.

Soujirou could feel the eyes of an enemy spying him out when he exited the room and slid the shouji shut, and it further confirmed his earlier suspicions. Okina sauntered along the corridor as if on parade for all to see, however, and Soujirou simply continued to follow, with his practiced smile in place.

So Okina already knew there were Yuugure spies in the temple? Soujirou started to grin, unknowing even to himself.

This could get interesting.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
2/11/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
So yeah... another slow moving chapter. Uhm... what should I say to keep your attention? *_*x We'll see Aoshi... soon, and Kenji is about to hit a revelation! Stay with us!! XD XD XD Thanks to Joerg-san for naming this chapter!

  
All right, cookies for everyone! *passes cookie basket to **Espi** and **Zeromaru*** You guys can be in charge of the distribution! XD *whispers* Give extras to **sasori** and **April-san**, since they write fics I'm just dying to read more of. ^_~x More for **jbramx2** too, for her wonderful art! :D And **Tanuki-dono** and **Firuze** for their wonderful help. :3 *ahem* **Brittany**, I think Obasan means aunt and Ojisan means uncle! :D **Shimizu** and **Espi**... well, Kenji's been calling Misao 'aunty' for years now, so she's more or less used to it. :3 She will not, however, let Soujirou or Enishi off if they ever call her that. XD Stay away from pissy Misao, just as **EEevee** warned you! *_*x Stay away also from spies in temple blue, **Shahrezad1** will tell you that! :D **phenix**, and everyone else, seem to be just waiting for Aoshi to show up. XD Yes, he will! :D Soon. XD And **liemtenshi** has it straight about Kenji's fear of Misao. XD Thank for reading, **dawn** and **chibi-chan**! :D Stick with us! XD

*breath* I thank you all for your kind encouragement! :D


	24. 23: Revelation

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 23: Revelation

  
"Okon, Omasu!" Misao shouted into the steam once she pushed the kitchen door aside. While waiting for the sound of their sandles to get louder, she grabbed two aprons off the table on one side and handed one to Kenji, who accepted it with distraught fear. Her elders soon appeared from the misted up kitchen, and gasped at what they saw.

"If it isn't little Kenji!" Okon laughed sweetly and pat the boy on his head. "When did you come? You could have sent word first! Is Kaoru-san here with you?" She peered around the area.

"Long story, Okon," Misao grumbled, while waving a few tendrils of smoke out of her eyes. "What's up in the kitchen so far?" She wrinkled her nose when she smelled something peculiarly bad. "Ewwww, what are you guys cooking for dinner tonight?"

"Actually, that's just the fish going into a particular degree of being overcooked," Okon had the courtesy to sweatdrop, before dashing back into the mist to settle the fish. Omasu wiped her hands and smiled at the younger girl and Kenji.

"Okina's asked us to prepare a bigger serving for dinner tonight before he went out to see what the noise was all about," Omasu explained, "so we've been busy. Everything is more or less ready, though. We just need to see that the food is cooked right."

Misao barged into the mist, breezing past the taller ninja. "Gotcha, Omasu. Leave the rest to us, won't you? You could heat up Okina's bath so he can stop complaining about his old creaking bones in the evening later," she turned around to wink playfully.

"Misao..." Omasu was unsure of what to reply. Okon returned from squaring off with the burnt fish and wondered briefly about the situation at hand.

"Don't worry, we won't blow this place up," Misao reassured her elders, pushing Kenji further into the kitchen. "I promise! Now just go along! I'm going to try to teach Kenji how NOT to cook like Kaoru-san, and I'll need a lot of concentration for that!"

There were giggles from both Okon and Omasu, before some shuffling occurred, and finally, the quiet shutting of the kitchen door. Kenji gulped, just as Misao heaved a sigh. She whipped around in record time to stare at the boy seriously in the face, before grabbing a ladle and shoving it in his hands.

"Move over and stir the miso," she muttered, pointing downwards. For herself, she chose an exquisitely crafted ginzu knife and hovered over a tall stack of uncut vegetables. Kenji chose this time to peer over, from the corner of his eyes, at his aunt. He was rewarded with a not too kind looking glare, and quickly he found his eyes snapping around back where it should be looking. Mechanically, he lowered the ladle into the pot of soup and stirred gingerly, almost as if he was afraid Misao would pounce at him from the sidelines any time.

Misao had been a frequent visitor to the dojo from since Kenji could remember. She was bright and had an almost overwhelming character - part of what made her endearing despite her loud voice. The boy remembered when Kaoru left him in Misao's care when she needed to make a trip to visit Megumi along with Kenshin, and Kenji had never, ever gotten over the terror. Himura Kenji was distant and lofty to all who knew him, but if there was one person in the whole world he did not want to be with alone in a misty kitchen stirring miso and chopping vegetables - it was Makimachi Misao.

And at that particular train of thought, a loud hacking sound of a sharp knife plowing its way through leafy greens, became very apparent.

Kenji attempted to swallow the lump in his throat away.

"Kenji." The voice was curt. The boy immediately jumped and turned around to face his aunt.

"I'm stirring it! Really, I am!" He held the one hand he had free in a surrendering pose, while his other hand stirred the miso with faithful integrity. He noticed that Misao hadn't seemed interested at all in whether he was stirring the pot. She was staring at him - not glaring anymore, just staring, with a queer expression on her face. "Obasan?" He asked, mildly concerned. Although he was confident that nothing in the world could faze his aunt, he also knew that women tended to veer between temperaments as quickly as the east winds. Always better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, Misao sighed, and gathered the cut-up vegetables into a basket. "Have you any idea how worried Kaoru-san was?"

At the mention of his mother's name, Kenji's heart skipped a beat. He momentarily paused in his stirring, and he could feel his face hardening. "She wouldn't be," he callously snorted.

For a reply, Misao wisely chose silence. She observed the boy's expression shift from a stubborn, rebellious look, to that of a pained youth simply trying to find escape. Kenji continued stirring the miso wordlessly, lost in his own thoughts. Despite what the nature of their relationship appeared to be to the general onlooker, Misao's concern for the boy was second to nobody but his parents. Sensing something not quite right with Kenji, however, she spoke, a little more carefully this time, "I've received a letter from her with bits and pieces of information, so I don't know the full story. You'll tell me, won't you, Kenji?" She was almost murmuring her question. Her attention was apt on the vegetables before her.

"There's nothing much to tell you about," Kenji replied after a stoney silence. "I ran away from the dojo because I couldn't stand it anymore," he shrugged, still stirring, "not going back there anytime soon."

"Kenji..." Misao set the basket of vegetables aside and walked slowly towards the boy. "Do you have any idea what you're talking about?"

"I know, dammit!" The boy threw his free hand up in exasperation. He jerked to a stop suddenly when he remembered who it was he was talking to, but when he turned to gaze at Misao, instead of seeing prospective violent streaks, he saw her serious visage of true concern. So he frowned and continued, "I just couldn't... take it anymore, Obasan," the boy wrenched his eyes shut and shook his head, "it felt like... everybody was expecting me to do something... but I think I must have been the only one who didn't know what I was /supposed/ to do! Every day," Kenji breathed, "I'm walking in the shadow of my father. Yahiko drills me everyday with the Kasshin Ryuu... he /expects/ me to inherit the dojo because I'm /my father's son/! I couldn't even touch him with my shinai if my life depended on it, so why should I be inheriting the dojo?" Sighing again, he continued, "And that's not all! He tells me everything he knows about the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu... like I actually care, you know? They never say anything, but I know! They want me to be like my father! Fill the void he left when he passed away! Well, unfortunately for them," Kenji's grip on the ladle was whitening his knuckles and making his fist tremble, "I'm not!"

The only sounds that were audible thereafter were the sounds of the cackling fire, and of liquids boiling in their pots.

"Are you," Misao finally asked, quietly, "thinking too much about this?"

"How else was I supposed to think?" Kenji snapped unhappily. Noticing Misao's slight frown, however, he fumbled and quickly returned to staring at the miso he was stirring. "Sorry Obasan. I know you're good friends with my mother and Yahiko. But I like what I'm doing now, and I like my new friends. Please don't tell my mother that I'm in Kyoto."

"All right," the ninja girl had gone back to handling vegetables, "I won't."

This evoked a remarkable reaction in Kenji. His head snapped up to stare at his aunt with breakneck speed. Misao did not just agree to shield him, did she?

"Only," she was back to ripping up leafy greens at warp speed nine, "if you still feel the same way about your friends after this."

Caught off guard, Kenji was unable to respond properly.

Misao moved into the mist and proceeded to do something with the basket of vegetables she had with her, returning into Kenji's sight with an empty basket. Sighing, she asked, "You don't know who they are, do you?"

Again, Kenji was thrown off by Misao's words. "Soujirou and Enishi... ?" When he saw that Misao remained unresponsive, he further offered, "Two clueless wanderers under the oppressive hand of a cold-blooded police officer who doesn't pay them nearly enough allowance to pay for a broken cup?"

That did cause the ninja girl to look up from her chores for a while, with a half-curious, half-amused look gracing her features. Shaking her head, though, she said, "I didn't mean that."

"Then what did you mean?" Kenji was beyond confused now. "They're just a couple of clueless wanderers, any way I see it..."

"Try to remember, Kenji," Misao walked into the mist again, with another basket of raw food, "their names. Have you ever heard their names before, anytime else before you met them?"

The boy bit his lower lip and knitted his eyebrows together in fierce concentration. Now that Misao mentioned it, he did vaguely recall having a sense of deja vu when he first heard their names - but because more than one person could have the same name, he had not put much thought into it. Now if he could just remember where it was he had heard...

"Himura had this conversation with Yahiko before," Misao further tried to spur the boy's memories on, as she returned from the misty area, "and it began with 'Tenken'."

Kenji recalled that Enishi always referred to Soujirou as 'Tenken', or 'the Tenken'. But other than that, he could not place his finger on the strange sense of familiarity the name otherwise provided.

"Remember that night some years back before Himura..." Misao hesitated slightly, "... went away? I was there with you too, and we were walking along the corridor to get back to our respective rooms when we heard Kenshin and Yahiko talking from within one of the rooms."

"'Tenken...'" Kenji could faintly remember that night - he was always curious about the things his father and Yahiko talked about in secrecy, since they seemed to be much more interesting than his life in the peaceful dojo. Still, he was unable to remember what exactly had transpired that night while he stood quietly outside the room, listening in on the conversation until Misao finally shooed him back to his own room proper. "... hmmmm..."

"'Tenken no Soujirou,'" Misao abruptly cut his thoughts short by iterating with a firm voice the beginning of the conversation that night, "'appears to be under the administrations of Saitou Hajime as an underground contact nowadays.'"

The boy started at the words. He had definitely heard those words before, in the same entirety. And, just as Misao had said, he had heard it that night, a long time ago, when his father was still around - before he went away.

And never came back again.

  
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"Tenken no Soujirou appears to be under the administrations of Saitou Hajime as an underground contact nowadays."

Kenji stopped short of walking past the room where he heard Yahiko's brusque voice.

He heard a slight chuckle after that statement, which he recognised to be his father's. Curiosity getting the better of him, he retreated and hid his shadows from being seen by leaning close to the shouji of the empty room prior to it. He did not notice that he had bumped into Misao, who had been walking along behind him, but as it was, Misao blinked and followed along with the boy, wondering what he could possibly be up to.

"This isn't funny, Kenshin," Yahiko's tone, however, continued to be grave. "You know how powerful the Tenken is. What if that Saitou is up to no good?"

"Yahiko," Kenshin's soft, commanding voice was heard next, "You should know by now that Saitou's philosophy is very straight-forward. If he was truly up to no good, he would have stopped being a policeman, a long time ago."

"But still!"

"I know," the reply was quiet, "something else must be going on for him to require the assistance of such a powerful underground contact..."

Silence.

"What are you going to do about it, Kenshin?"

"..." Kenshin kept his peace to perhaps consider the possibilities. "There is nothing much we can do about it, Yahiko," his smile was evident in his tone, "don't forget - we have other duties and obligations. There is only this much you can do to help. Anymore than that, and you might not be able to be of help at all."

There was a sound of someone rising to his feet, and Kenji backed further into the wall behind him, as if believing that it would make him invisible. The sound of footsteps stopped immediately, however, when Yahiko spoke up again.

"Not even if Yukishiro Enishi is involved as well?"

An immediate hush took over. Misao took this pause to quickly grab Kenji by his shoulders and push him past the room as quietly as she could.

"Enishi... ?" Was the last thing Kenji heard his father say, before he and Misao took the turn around the corridor towards the sleeping rooms.

  
------------------------------------------

  
"Remember I explained to you afterwards," Misao was saying while lifting the lid of the rice pot to check if the rice was done, "that Tenken no Soujirou and Yukishiro Enishi were both very, very dangerous outlaws?"

"Aa," Kenji mumbled something in agreement.

"They're not as clueless as they appear..." Misao glanced over at Kenji while she said this, "... but I'm sure you already know that."

"Yeah," the boy stopped stirring the miso and stared at the bubbles that began to form.

"So if you think you can continue hanging out with them without getting into any kind of serious trouble," the ninja girl continued, slightly confused that Kenji was not as taken aback as she thought he would be, "then you'd better think again."

"Umhm," his answer was non-commital.

"Are you listening to me at all, Kenji..."

"Obasan," Kenji cut his aunt short. There was a certain tone of determined staunchness in the quality of his voice as he continued, "do you remember what I said to you after that?"

Now, Misao was caught. Frankly, she could not really recall, because all her memories of that particular period were flooded with those of her trying to convince Kenji that those were bad people and should never be mentioned again - seeing how Kenji was a curious lad then. She stared at Kenji haplessly.

Kenji glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled secretively.

  
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"But Obasan! How do you know if that Tenken guy and the other one... How do you know if they're dangerous or not?" The young Kenji asked Misao as they trudged along the corridor after accidentally eavesdropping on Kenshin and Yahiko's conversation. "Have you met them before?"

They arrived at Kenji's room first, so Kenji stopped while Misao continued walking. She turned around quickly, however, and put her hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly.

"I have, Kenji," the girl whispered, "and if I tell you they're powerful, dangerous people, will you believe me and promise me not to ask or think about this matter anymore?"

"If you say they're powerful," the adolescent's eyes were wide with unbridled curiosity, "then it must be true. Because you're powerful too!"

"But of course!" Misao straightened and swiped at her hair, striking a pose. "You're talking about Makimachi Misao here, ninja extraordinaire..."

"But I don't know if I can believe you if you say they're dangerous, since you're pretty dangerous yourself, and the equation just doesn't work the same way..." Immediately Kenji stopped, realizing that Misao was throwing him a glare. "Nothing! I didn't say anything at all!!"

"Kenji..." Misao's voice turned chiding, "I know you've always been interested about your father's past, but really. There are some things better left unknown."

The boy looked down on the floor and shifted his weight around unhappily. "Everybody says that, Obasan," he mumbled, "but really. Seriously," he looked up again and stared at Misao with doubtful, questioning eyes, "do you really believe in that?"

Stunned by the boy's question, Misao leant back slightly and blinked.

"I don't believe that, by deliberately not knowing something, problems can be solved," Kenji continued, sliding the door to his room open. "Good night, Obasan."

"Kenji!" Misao raised her voice slightly. "We're talking about people who were enemies of your father here! Those who killed without batting an eyelid!"

The boy had already stepped into his room, and stopped just one step short of closing the door entirely. His countenance failed to reveal what he was really thinking about, but he smiled thinly when he replied.

"Really? That's nice. Maybe I can be good friends with them."

"What are you talking about?!" Misao gasped, her hushed disbelief evident in her entire mannerism.

"Sometimes," the look in Kenji's eye became downcast, "I feel like I'm my father's enemy too."

The door slid quietly shut.

  
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The kitchen was silent; void of any sort of indication that there were humans inside. It was not until Misao sighed softly that the tension began to ease, slightly.

"I don't mean to say that they were wicked or anything," the ninja shook her head and got back to chopping vegetables. "But they /are/ dangerous. They /have/ killed a lot of people. And they /will/ do it again. That much you should know, from hanging out with them all this time..." She sneaked a glance at the stolid boy. "That's why..."

"Does it matter?"

"... you shouldn't be... what?" Misao blinked in confusion at the younger person.

"Does it matter," Kenji repeated, "what someone has done in his past? Is the past something we use to determine how someone should be treated now?"

He used the period of silence which instantaneously occurred, to take the lid of the pot from it's position on the floor, using it to cover the pot. "I think, Obasan," he continued, "that as much as the past can shape your character, nobody remains the same yesterday and tomorrow. That's also why," the boy found himself sighing, "my father... he had a second chance... to live a normal life again, even though he was an assassin, wasn't it? Why should anybody else be any different?"

Putting the ladle aside, Kenji turned to face his aunt fully. "People will always have something ugly they want to hide - a shady past, a blotched reputation, an unclean record... - but I think, these things shouldn't matter." He grinned. "Everybody should stand based on their own present merits, and not that of the past, don't you think so?"

"Kenji..." Misao found her voice after her long phase of muteness. She walked up to the boy, who instinctively took a step back but was stopped by her hand coming down suddenly on his head. "... don't think I can't tell you're trying to edge closer to the door so you can get out of here!" She pulled the half-whining boy deeper into the kitchen and pointed at a large basin of water, filled to the brim with plates and bowls of all sizes. "We're not done in the kitchen yet! Wash those up and dry them before dinner, you hear?"

"Yes, Obasan..." Kenji sat mournfully in front of the basin and stared at the mountainous task before him.

"And Kenji?" The boy jerked his head up when his aunt addressed him again, and caught sight of her throwing a furtive wink in his direction. "You've grown up."

The boy's grinned from ear to ear. "People change!"

Misao simply smiled in response, and before long, Kenji was slogging hard over the utensils. When she was certain that the boy wouldn't try to run away behind her back again, the ninja girl turned around and stared purposefully at a random direction.

/I know you feel the same way too, Aoshi-sama...

/That's why I believe, always, that you have a good reason for choosing to do what you're doing.../

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
9/11/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
I noticed after a while that Aoshi seems to be filling out a bad guy's role in the story. Rest assured that he is not! *_*x I personally think that, despite his otherwise surprisingly strong emotions, Aoshi is actually a man of great foresight, and of course, mystery. I hope to explain everything by the next few chapters. Please stay with me! And remember, Aoshi is NOT the bad guy! :D

  
And... heeey! **Espi**, where're you going with the cookies?! XD At least **Zeromaru's** still holding on to them... hey, everybody, get yours from Zero! Remember, it's **sasori** and... oh, don't forget **Silver Nightingale**! She's given a lot of support! :D And hi **Fyyrrose**! Pleased to finally meet you! :D Heard from **EEevee** that you're a riot. XD Welcome aboard. :D Don't worry, **April-san**, **Shahrezad1**, I think Soujirou's new clothes will not be OOC at all. :D It's not fuscia, though. XD XD XD Thanks for reading, **dawn**! *shakes hand* For **all of you worried about Kenji** / his corpse, don't! :D Misao's not /that/ mean, ya know! XD Of course I remember you, **Chibi-chan**! :D Glad you got an a/c already! :O But no fics! Publish soon, okay? :D Hee hee, well **jbramx2**, Enishi and Misao are going to have quite a bit of spats since they /are/ awfully stubborn people. Nothing romantic though. -_-x I can't write romance at all. Glad you're still with us, **EK**! *glomp* and... *glomp* Yes **April-san**, you get another cookie! *points to **Zeromaru*** Am happy you liked Okina's portrayal took, **leblephenix**!


	25. 24: Conversations

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

A/N: Eeeeeto... tis a... boring chapter. -_-x Please bear with me!

  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 24: Conversations

  
Soujirou followed Okina until they stepped out of the main building and headed towards a smaller hut, near the fringes of the temple walls. It was situated in the midst of a wild, untamed garden which at one point of time had surely been beautifully cultivated. Soujirou could not help but notice the dilapidated arbor next to the wooden gate they then passed through to arrive at the building proper.

It was a small, rustic hut with a beaten path towards it's elevated door. There were stepping stones leading towards it, and a stone wash basin stood nearby, almost wiped out from sight by the overgrown bushes surrounding it. Okina led the younger person towards a door of full height, with traces of modification. Soujirou observed that it wasn't a sliding door as it probably should have been - rather, Okina merely lifted the piece of wood blocking their entry and put it aside, gesturing for Soujirou to enter into the hut.

Bowing slightly, although he was not sure what for, Soujirou did as told.

The first thing the wanderer noticed was that the room was in absolute upheaval. The several out-of-place cabinets there challenged the height of the ceiling, and within their compartments were several boxes, some opened, others closed. Despite the disorder, Soujirou's eyes were drawn to a scroll of calligraphy hanging from the alcove, written with fine handwriting. Then he noticed a withered seasonal flower in a pot upon the alcove's vertical beam, looking sad and forlorn. Okina had moved to the back of the room to rummage through one of the boxes there, so Soujirou decided to walk around a bit. As he did so, he almost stumbled over a dark, greyish earthenware sitting in a comfortable, square-shaped hole in the ground.

Bending down to examine the sunken hearth, Soujirou found that, old as the pot looked, it showed signs of recent usage. From behind him, Okina approached, and Soujirou turned to look at him, smiling. "Sir," he asked, while standing up, "correct me if I'm wrong, but... is this room..."

"Just an old tea hut." The old warrior shrugged, and placed a pile of clothing in the Tenken's hands. "Aoshi is the probably the only one who ever visits it nowadays."

"And in the meantime, it has been converted to look like a haphazard storage bunk of sorts, hasn't it?" Soujirou smiled at his surroundings, inviting Okina to take a good look as well. The older man laughed and stroked his beard.

"Young man," Okina pat Soujirou on his shoulder with one hand, "there are few, if any, people around here nowadays who are not too busy rebuilding their lives to try to appreciate the fine arts of tradition. To many, this room is merely a waste of space. What better way to put it to use than to use it for storage?"

"Even so..." The younger person examined the room closely. "... this is... an awful lot of things to be putting in a hut like this!" Looking down at the clothes in his hands, he asked, "Is something major going to happen in Kyoto these few days?"

"It's not that major, and not that minor either," Okina knelt down near the hearth and dragged out a box of tea utensils from under one of the cabinets, sticking his pipe into his mouth in the meantime. "The first day of the horse is approaching, so the Fushimi Inari Taisha will be holding a procession to retrieve the mikoshi - the portable shrine, between Touji and Aburanokouji. As a rule of thumb, those who wish to handle the portable shrine are loaned appropriate clothing, and these clothes are just being temporarily stored here until the time comes." He paused to light the hearth. "Don't worry, boy, those clothes in your hands are not from the Fushimi shrine. Those are spare clothings from this shrine you can take without worrying too much about."

Soujirou smiled at nothing in particular. "I see." He settled into a more easy stance, fingering his tattered clothes. "Kashiwazaki-san... about that particular matter we were talking about prior to this..."

At that, Okina made a sound of approval through his pipe. He watched carefully over the apparatus in the sunken hearth. "We knew," he began, in a low voice, "that they were snooping around all the time. I must give them credit for managing to do that at all, but unfortunately for them, I'm afraid they didn't stand a chance at all."

"Is there a reason why you didn't do anything to them?" Soujirou asked, examining the gi and hakama as he did. He was surprised to see that they were in similar shades of blue as his now tattered clothing were. Wondering what to think of it, he finally giggled softly to himself. Even Enishi had mentioned - briefly, one day in the long past, that blue was Soujirou's colour.

Okina exhaled, throwing out a mini cloud of smoke as he did. He bent down to prepare some tea for himself from the hearth. "There was no need," Okina spoke with candor, "since allowing them to infiltrate, was part of our plan to begin with."

Soujirou blinked once. He was no longer smiling, a look of semi-understanding drawing over his countenance instead. The wanderer glanced expectantly at Okina, inviting him to explain in detail what he meant by those words.

The older man smiled cryptically. He set an exquisite looking bowl out and gestured towards a spot perpendicular to him.

"Let's have some good tea before the casual chat."

  
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A group of young, female servants - probably still in training, giggled and gushed in a corner when Enishi stalked past them on the corridor. Although the white-haired man did not immediately notice them, he stopped a few steps away, then quickly retraced his footsteps, as if he suddenly remembered something. "Hey," he half-mumbled, stopping a foot away from the group of girls, a few of whom gasped and quickly hid their faces. Frowning slightly at their etiquette, he directed his question to most sane looking one of the lot, "where's the kitchen?"

"K-Kitchen?" The most sane looking one of the lot, however, was at present blushing like a ripe tomato. "We... we have a few, but they're... they're all near the west, a few doors away from the main shrine room there..."

"Thanks," Enishi cut her short and nodded, then proceeded to move towards the east.

"Sir?" The girl called out meekly, eliciting a response by Enishi in the form of him turning his head around slightly. "Di... Didn't you want to go to the west..."

"No," Enishi shook his head and pointed east, "I'm asking so I can stay the hell away from it." With that abrupt reply , he stalked away, disappearing behind a turn in the corridor faster than the girl could ask what exactly did he mean.

"What a strange man..." The girl had stopped blushing and was simply staring out at the distant.

Her friends behind her squealed their responses.

  
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Comfortably changed into his new outfit, Soujirou knelt quietly beside Okina, who busily prepared tea. While the silent sound of clay knocking against clay filled the room, together with tendrils of strong fragrance, Soujirou's mind started to drift, confronted with the uniformity of Okina's actions. He noticed how nice his new clothes smelled, despite it having vegetated in the small hut for likely a long period of time. Although he had to lose his badly ripped western-styled undershirt, he did manage to locate a clean, white, round-neck one, not quite unlike the ones he saw Yahiko wear, a long time ago. As the boxes appeared to be void of any other yukatas that could otherwise serve as an under-layer of clothing, Soujirou did not feel he could have much qualms about it. He was glad, however, that the new gi and hakama were in familiar shades of blue.

He jolted out of his thoughts just as Okina finished pouring out a large helping of thick tea on the bowl he had earlier set out. "Here you go," Okina offered the tea to the boy, pushing the bowl towards him. Taking a slight bow, Soujirou picked the bowl up and drank.

The older person relaxed and blew a ring of smoke out. "Your superior is right," he began. "We, unfortunately, do have more information regarding this phantom band of bandits than the police force does."

Pausing in the midst of admiring the craftsmanship of the bowl, Soujirou cocked his head to one side and turned to look at Okina instead. "Will we be seeing any of that 'information' anytime soon?"

Okina laughed in short, curt breaths. "I am in no position to promise you that."

"Why, though, has the Oniwabanshuu gotten this 'vital information' before the police has?" Soujirou shrugged and steered the conversation in another direction. "I believe Saitou-san's men have links to a much wider network across the nation than the Oniwabanshuu has - with due respect, of course," he ducked his head slightly towards the elderly spy. "It's just something that refuses to stop bugging me." He added hastily, pushing the half-filled bowl of tea back to the old man at the same time.

"Don't worry, child," Okina laughed again, "you ask well." He took the bowl and drank from it. "I suppose this isn't anything I can't tell you about." Finishing the tea, he set the utensil aside and stuck his pipe back into his mouth. "It was just something we asked the police to do when they first approached us. The plan was to go through the investigation under the watchful eye of the Yuugure, and to make definitely sure that it would appear to the enemy, that it is only the Oniwabanshuu they have to worry about as regards espionages. That would, of course, be their undoing, because, as you have mentioned, the police have a much larger network of spies in the nation than we do, and once the enemy's attention is on us, they will have much more freedom to carry on their activities." He blew out a long stream of smoke. "That," he sighed, "was what was supposed to happen, anyway."

"What happened actually, then?" Soujirou quickly asked, smiling.

"The enemy did direct their attention to the Oniwabanshuu," Okina nodded, "and have been closely monitoring our every move. And we, for our part, have done just enough to keep them on their toes about us. By some strange twist of fate, however," the old spy put his pipe aside and blew out a final jet of smoke, "we started finding out bits and pieces of information from them about their syndicate that you couldn't possibly have if they hadn't sent so many spies to watch over you the way they do to us." He chuckled. "It is a very amusing process, I must add. Are you the spy? Or are you being spied on? Have you been found out? Or are you just letting them find you out?"

"A devious little mind game," the smiling wanderer agreed, "which I might have enjoyed playing too! If the stakes weren't so high." He paused slightly to ponder. "So in short: the original plan was to use the Oniwabanshuu to distract the Yuugure, so the police can have more freedom in their investigations. Yuugure spies planted in the Oniwabanshuu, however, have revealed vital pieces of information which could not otherwise be unearthed by onlookers." He glanced up slightly to see Okina nodding. "But, Kashiwazaki-san, what if these 'information' they've 'dropped', are nothing but a concerted effort to throw the police AND the Oniwabanshuu off their scent altogether?"

At that, there was silence again.

And then Okina laughed once more, much more heartily. "You know how to ask the questions, young man," he nodded with approval. "And you have the patience your partner does not care to cultivate." He jested blandly, shaking his head at that particular train of thought. Composing himself, he addressed Soujirou again, saying, "I would have asked the same questions, my boy, if I had not seen for myself the way our men have worked so painfully hard at, with the utmost degree of caution, to finally go through so many layers of deceit to sift the information out."

Soujirou, for his part, simply smiled questioningly.

"We are creatures of reason and logic, boy," Okina continued, folding his hands on his knelt lap, "and when nothing else seems to work, trusting your gut instinct is sometimes the key to staying alive."

Not daring to challenge the words of an experienced warrior, Soujirou nodded tersely. There were new facts to be rearranged and new decisions to be made, and thus, the younger person remained quiet.

"Aoshi is the person you need to talk to for this," Okina picked his pipe up and slowly rose to his feet.

"Rest assured that we will," Soujirou smiled up at the ninja. For himself, however, he made no attempt to stand.

"And just one more thing..." Okina was saying in a soft, subdued voice which resonated close to Soujirou's ears. "This conversation never happened."

The younger person's expression not so much as shifted as he saw the older person's form out with his eyes. "Thank you for the tea!" He chirped loudly. Loud enough for anyone who was present around the small, picturesque hut besides the both of them, to hear.

  
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Enishi was resting by a shouji post in the eastern part of the shrine, having possibly concluded that this was the spot furthest from the kitchen. He tilted his head upwards to glance at the sky, which was gloriously blue at that hour of the day, marred only by the occasional passing of a wayward cloud or two. The small, squarish area in front of the corridor housed a simple garden, with a few well placed rocks and neatly arranged flower bushes. A single butterfly fluttered gracefully around a particular blossom, and that was what Enishi saw when he lowered his gaze. All around him, the crickets hummed a monotononic tune of summer, sporadically interrupted by sounds of the birds in their flight.

Nobody else seemed to pass along these corridors as often as they did in the central and western sections. The white-haired man scoffed internally, fully understanding how that could be, and how he was not surprised that the person he had been looking to talk to, would be in a serene, tranquil spot as such.

/Hear the wise words of the old,/ Enishi thought sulkily to himself, /looking for an icicle? Just follow the quietest path in the temple.../

Beside the post he was leaning on, was a meditation room with its doors wide open. A single, solitary figure was knelt there, his back greeting anyone who would walk in. Despite the imposing figure it portrayed to onlookers, the man blended into the surroundings easily, experience and ease of belonging emanating from within.

Of course, that was of no real concern to an agitated Enishi.

"Hey, forest of death," the ex-mafia boss's voice was restrained, but neutral.

"We need to talk."

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
14/11/03  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
Hmm... although the kanji is written differently, everytime I see Aoshi's surname 'Shinomori', I keep thinking of 'shi no mori' (means forest of death). Yeah, so forest of death... Definitely, definitely appearing in the next chapter. *looks at chapter* Well, he sure took his time! XD And one more time for the record, everybody! _**Aoshi is not a bad guy**_! :D

  
Yes, Kenji is such a motley mix of Kenshin and Kaoru, isn't he, **Silver Nightingale**? XD *feeds **April-san** more sugar* **April-san** on crack is always entertaining. XD *runs away* **sasori**!! I'm sorry! I /will/ reply the Sou ficlet ASAP!! *huggle* Publish soon! :D I'm sure Misao's not that bad, **Fyyrrose**. XD XD Kenji is just... well, too smart! XD **Shahrezad1**, I do agree that was anti-climatical... but it just came out like that! XD **Chibi-chan**, well, it's not in the manga that Kenshin died, but in the 2nd OVA. I based this fic off that fact so that... well, Kenji has a reason to run away. XD **Espi**! How could you sacrifice your poor homework! XD But it's Maths. I understand. -_-x - imma maths idiot! **EEevee**! :D **Fyyrrose** is so fun. XD Why can't my bounceboards be like that? XD Yes, wrong move to try to sneak out, Kenji. *wags finger* **Dawn**, don't worry, Aoshi definitely in next chapter! Hi again, **Angrybee**! :D I like Okina the Tour Guide too. XD And finally, nope, Aoshi is NOT the bad guy, not at all, **lebleuphenix**! :D All together now!


	26. 25: Head On

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 25: Head-On

  
It all started many moons ago, in a little meeting room, dimly lit.

There was no fanfare, and no audiences.

"You put him on the job."

The statement was made with absolute plainness.

"Yes, I did."

The reply was nowhere less plain.

A pause ensued.

Saitou then blew a thick cloud of smoke out from the cigarette he had been breathing in, and turned his sharp, wolflike eyes towards his companion, head slightly tilted. "And this was the highly important matter you had to speak to me in private about, Mr. Okashira?"

From where he stood, Aoshi narrowed his eyes at the officer. It appeared like they had been through this a couple of times.

"You know we won't succeed if we don't have his help." Saitou continued in an unflinching tone.

"What do you mean?" The sombre ninja questioned.

Flicking his finished cigarette butt away and stepping on it to snuff it out for once and for all, Saitou sneered. "I don't have to lay it out all before you, Shinomori," the policeman quipped, "you're smarter than that."

"I understand," there was a mental shrug to Aoshi's words, spoken after a tensed silence, "but it doesn't necessarily make me any more agreeable."

"Then you don't understand at all," Saitou shook his head. "Look." He asserted. "Do you really think we can get far with this affair by hanging on to our sparse, superficial overseas information network? We're not going to be achieving anything if we can't break them from the inside. Who better to give us that information than someone who's been there before?"

"I know that," Aoshi immediately cut into the conversation, eyes still closed in contemplation. "Saitou," he continued, "I'm not suggesting that you take him off your list of men. I'm just voicing out a view. You seem, as usual, more cool-headed than I am as regards to cases like these, and thus I defer to you. However," the ninja pushed away from the wall he was leaning against, "I have my own way of doings things - my own style. You choose your men, I choose mine. If one day, I need to exert my right, I hope you won't do anything to hinder it."

Saitou snorted, lips curling up into a belittling smile. "I wouldn't dream about it." He turned, and continued, "Not directly, anyway."

Leaving Aoshi to ponder the meaning of those words, Saitou thus departed from the scene.

The wheels were set in motion from that moment on.

And now, as Aoshi stared into the determined eyes of an untamed tiger, he realized with a start what Saitou had meant when he affirmed that he would not interfere directly.

"Saitou Hajime sent you."

Enishi remained poker-faced at the insinuation. "I don't do things just because someone tells me to," he cocked his head, and added, "I'm here of my own accord."

"Oh?" Aoshi folded his arms across his chest and eyed the newcomer carefully, drawing any conclusion he felt was necessary.

Before he could open his mouth to ask the inevitable question, however, Enishi spoke out first. "I permitted it."

The ninja blinked. "Permitted it?" He echoed quietly, an ominous aura immediately permeating his thoughts.

Leaning slightly against the doorpost, Enishi raised a hand in mock gesture, "Takeda Kanryuu," were the first words he uttered. A deep hush immediately fell over the duo. "Latest model of automatic firing gatling guns, one first for personal usage, five more for later delivery," the white-haired man proceeded anyway, pausing poignantly at this point of time to punch his left palm for effect, "I permitted the sale."

Aoshi frowned. "I didn't need to know that."

"Yes you do," the ex-mafia boss frowned reciprocally, his countenance hardening. "You want closure, Shinomori Aoshi, and I'm here to give you that. Now you can put all your doubts and theories aside - I'll give you first-hand affirmation that I was behind the whole Takeda Kanryuu fiasco. Nothing personal, ninja. Back then he was just another money tree."

A grueling stare. "You didn't care to think how many lives would be lost to that money tree of yours."

Enishi quirked an eyebrow. "This coming from the guy who once worked as that money tree's bodyguard?" He stopped to observe Aoshi's reaction - or lack thereof, before continuing, "You have a better memory than that. Come off it, iceman, you know better than me where that blade of yours' been before. If it's my dirty past you're worried about," the white-haired man sneered, "then it's you and I both. You and I both."

Even the birds appeared to have vanished from the scene, the pure humidity surrounding the shrine visible from ground up. "Are you trying to make me distrust you more?" Aoshi eventually asked, understandably perturbed.

"Hah," Enishi's response was to snort derisively, "I hadn't thought /that/ was possible." He made a random sort of gesture and shrugged slightly, about to continue speaking his mind when an uncharacteristically big movement from Aoshi, as he walked towards the back of the room and stood by the window, stopped him.

"I'll admit," the tall ninja said, "that it had always bugged me as to your participation of the Takeda Kanryuu affair."

"Bugged?" Enishi sneered. "You mean bothered. Obviously bothered."

There was no real emotion behind the hard stare Aoshi afforded Enishi by way of response, but he went on to say, "However you want to phrase it. It was obvious we were treading in dangerous waters with your addition. You could, of course, have been a very valuable asset or a damnable liability. That, even at this point of time, remains unclear, to me. Look at the ease and nonchalance in which you speak of the people who were victims of your senseless criminal acts, and tell me again if I should not be 'bothered' about your participation, indeed?"

Despite the accusations, Enishi smirked in a rather sinister manner. "That's why you need to think more with your head than your heart." Without waiting for a response he continued, "/Your/ presence and motive irks me, Shinomori, just as mine possibly irks you. I won't even go into the details." He waved a hand carelessly. "But above all things else, you're the single person holding this entire episode up. Aren't you proud?"

The shinobi's eyes narrowed. "If this is about the information again, I can only say that I have my own timetable."

"And heaven only knows what diabolical scheme you've cooked up in that timetable of yours," Enishi rebutted immediately. He pushed himself away from the doorpost and looked squarely at Aoshi in the face. "Many people have been watching you," he said, features hardened. "You hold the key to unlocking what will happen next," he added plaintively. "And I am the single obstacle that stands in the way of the lock." There was a pause, as Enishi observed the other man raise his brows in slight movement. He chuckled. "Bingo?"

Aoshi remained impassively stoic. But there was a inner flame of sort burning in his eyes.

"It's really not hard to see that the boy was not your problem," Enishi pressed on, visibly irritated at the lack of response in his verbal sparring partner. "His path and yours run intricately parallel, and your gradual letting go of personal resentment was somehow tied to how much you'd let go of resentment of him and his group. It shows in the little actions. And we've been hanging out around your little ninja band for long enough to observe all that. Soujirou is aware, of course, and he is confused. He cannot think of anything else that could be in your way, besides himself, and his link to that period of your unmentionable past." Lips curling up into a rather feral grin, Enishi gestured. "What do you have to say about that?"

"He is not aware of all the facts," Aoshi turned his head away slightly to stare at something beyond the window beside him, "and a severed head of a poisonous snake is always more dangerous than a severed tail."

The silence that next followed was foreboding. Slowly, whatever vestige of a smile on Enishi's faced slipped, and although there was no malice in his tone when he next spoke, it did reflect his moody determination very well.

"I am a very selfish person, as you probably already know," the ex-mafia boss nearly snarled. "And personally, I don't give two hoots about any dumb reason you have for biding your time so moronically. I'll just have you know one thing - I like my life, and the people in it, the way it is now. I'm known to have a one-track mind, and I rampage all the way to my goal, no matter what stands in the way. So far it has only been this sad excuse of an organisation called Yuugure. And I'll give you a friendly warning that you're quickly becoming another one. I know you like to play the bad guy just so that other people can slowly realise where they've gone wrong, but you're not likely to get anything done this time. Put your time and energy somewhere more useful."

Again, Aoshi's eyes darted towards the window beside him, and this time he had a slightly thoughtful but commanding look in his features. "Perhaps," he briefly murmured in response to Enishi's monologue.

"That's all I needed to hear for today," one could easily catch the younger man rolling his eyes. There was always something more frustrating in dealing with the quiet ones than the ones who talked non-stop. He turned on his heels and was about to make his silent exit when he jerked awkwardly to a stop, the manner of a man who suddenly remembered something but did not know how to phrase his next sentence. When he next spoke, however, his voice was as cool as it had been from the beginning.

"Might want to clean the Tokyo stones up a bit," he had mumbled, seemingly to nobody, in a volume only slightly above a whisper, "flowers should have dried up by now." Without waiting to catch Aoshi's near-gawk, and without explaining what those words could have meant, Enishi vanished away from sight.

Of course Aoshi knew what the younger person had meant. Still, he did not know why Enishi would have said anything about the Tokyo gravestones he had made for his four fallen comrades. Nevertheless, his attention was now on other things, as a darkly clothed person slipped noiselessly into the room he was in and slid the door shut with equal tranquility. He bowed slightly to Aoshi, who nodded in acknowledgement.

"I have news, Aoshi-sama."

  
------------------------------------------

  
"Speak," however, was the first thing Soujirou heard, when he passed by the closed room with a casual, quiet step he had grown used to out of years of training to be unobtrusive. He was just on his way back from the little tea hut Okina had introduced him to, having grabbed a spare clean, white hakama with him for Kenji, as he remembered that the boy still wore the one stained with his blood. It was by pure chance that he happened upon the dark figure suspiciously hanging around the corridors of what looked like an abandoned part of the temple. It was by the same chance that the spy, who looked highly trained, did not notice him.

When the figure disappeared around the corner, Soujirou hesitated to follow. He gave just enough time for the person to travel the length of the corridor as per his speed, before silently trailing after in the same direction. When he turned, he did not see anybody, but a long, quiet corridor of rustic wood. He wondered briefly if the person could have entered into any one of the rooms along that corridor, and so decided to quietly but slowly make his way down the path.

The boyish wanderer wondered if this was the room the mysterious figure could have vanished into. Calmly masking as much of his presence as he could, he peered in through the small opening the sliding door had left. A gust of cold wind surged forward from the opening and stabbed airily at the eye he was using to peep, but he did not give up. From where he stood, he could only make out the right shoulder of the dark-clad figure, who hovered around the window and was talking to somebody on the left, which Soujirou could neither see nor hear properly.

He strained to listen in on the conversation, which seemed suspicious on any count, making it justifiable for him to eavesdrop. The men were quiet and cautious, reflected in the hushed tones they had chosen to use to converse. Soujirou could make out several words - ready, slip-up, preparations, three days, festival - none of which he could string together to form a coherent sentence. The discussion was obviously drawing to a close, as the shadowy figure stepped closer to the window.

He must have meant to utter as his last sentence, "This time we will obliterate them," for it was remarkably clear and loud, even to Soujirou. The wanderer reeled slightly in shock at the bold statement, and without waiting for all the other facts to catch up, decided to act.

The door slued open noisily, what with the force Soujirou had used on it. He wondered what his expression could have been at that time, or what word of accusation escaped from his mouth, to have caused the look of pure disbelief on the darkly-clad ninja's face. Nevertheless he was already travelling half the distance between himself and the window when he became aware of what he was doing, shinai in hand. The figure by the window had froze in the sudden intensity of Soujirou's entrance, but he slipped out and away, still with that look on his face, before Soujirou even got to him.

In the same line of direction stood the man whom the figure must have been talking to, with his back turned against the door and towards the window. In view of his speed, Soujirou was not sure if he should halt later and crash through the window or halt now and crash into the man. Neither options appeared to be feasible, when the man turned around to stare questioningly at the approaching wanderer.

Gasping in shock as he stared at the rapidly approaching figure of Aoshi, the first thing to come to Soujirou's mind was to swerve, which he did, and ended up crashing unceremoniously into the shelf by the wall, which then emptied all the books on it onto the wanderer by means of revenge, burying him.

And as for Aoshi, he blinked.

After taking a moment to ponder about the vast mysteries of the universe, he turned around and began to wonder how he could extricate the book-buried person behind him.

That line of thought did not run for too long, for as soon as he hit upon a solution, Soujirou burst free from his papery prison, sitting in a daze among the bound books with his trademark smile plastered on his face. He laughed nervously, "Ahahaha... I didn't know you were there, Shinomori-san. Sorry about this mess..." he trailed off when he saw that Aoshi had extended a hand silently to - possibly, help him to his feet. Wondering if that was even conceivable, he glanced back and forth at the hand and then at Aoshi, not knowing what to do.

Eventually, the tall ninja shook his head. "Come on, Soujirou, my hand is getting tired, and we both have to get to the dinner hall." Noticing Soujirou's inquisitive stare, even as he slowly grasped the hand to haul himself onto his feet, Aoshi continued, "I have some things to discuss with everybody. You need to be there too, of course. Let's go. You can clean up the mess here after we're done there."

Without waiting for a reply, the older person swept coolly out of the room, leaving Soujirou flabbergasted at the experience. He tapped his head with a long-suffering smile on his face, eyebrows arched inwards in a statement of inner incomprehension. Finally, he kept his shinai and picked the hakama he had dropped up, leaving the mess behind and turning down the corridor to hurry after Aoshi.

The crickets in the area suddenly broke into singing and dancing.

A new kind of tranquility settled upon the temple, the old fading away just as the evening sun sank into the horizon.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
16/2/04  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N  
this chapter would not have been possible without **sasori**, **firuze**, and **april-san**, who either supported me through The Block or helped me get enishi's character down as best as they could. m(_ _)m thank you! *glomp* many may not agree with how i portrayed certain people here, but i am ready to defend my case. :D send me your thoughts if you have any! thanks!

lots of people seem amused by the forest of death. XD **sasori**, **shahrezad1**, **shihali**... hey, all the 'S's! XD aoshi was just asking for it, having a surname like that. **EEevee** and **fyyrrose**, name me a fic which you both wreck havoc in and i'll be glad to wreck MY havoc in your review panel *evil grin* i hope i can keep up to your standards of revealing the pieces of the puzzle, **Silver Nightingale**! O.Ox *STRESSED!!* thanks for your note, Dawn! well **phenix**, i hope this chapter was good for you! and **jbramx2**, do you know that your reviews always make me laugh until my inwards rearrange themselves?! XD XD XD thank you! *glomp* i've never forgotten you, **tanuki-dono**! i was so scared you'd stopped reading already! but no matter what, you always have my gratitude. :D *pats **drunken monkey** on head* glad you liked the fic! *gigantic glomp on **chibi kitten paw prints*** O_Ox SO SWEET OF YOU!! i'll cherish that poem for the rest of my life. :D and **kitiara**, here's the new chapter!

**Zeromaru**! stop hogging the cookies! XD distribute them now! and you too **Espi**! XD


	27. 26: Dinner Discussions

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 26: Dinner Discussions

  
Misao and Kenji were already in the spacious hall, laying out the floor cushions, when Aoshi and Soujirou stepped in. The kunoichi turned instantly, her Aoshi-o-meter possibly having alerted her to the presence of the taller ninja. "Aoshi-sama!" She squealed with the same manner of innocent joy she had from since her younger days. Bounding happily towards the man, she began to briefly update him about the happenings in the temple.

"Himura-san," Soujirou took the opportunity to make himself scarce, stepping instead towards the morose boy. Holding out the clean hakama, the wanderer continued, "I found some spare clothes in the storehouse outside and thought you might appreciate having a new set of hakama. And well, because your current one smells kind of wrong, doesn't it?"

Kenji blinked once, then attempted to glare at the older person. "And whose fault do you think it was?"

The darker-haired person had the courtesy to look sheepish. "By the way, have you seen Yukishiro-san around?" He politely changed the subject, glancing about, as if believing that by so doing he would see Enishi disengage himself from one of the shadows in the corners.

"Not since we last talked to Okina," Kenji shrugged. He glanced tentatively at the cushions in his hands, then shot his companion an evil, intentional grin. Without a word, he pushed them all to Soujirou, leaving only the clean hakama in his hands. "You take care of the zabuton," Kenji gestured at the cushions, "I'll go change into something more suitable for dinner."

"Aa..." Soujirou was unable to really refute, "Yes, sure. Please go right ahead, Himura-san..." His voice trailed at the last word. Kenji had not remained behind to hear his well wishes - the boy had simply trodden out of the room with a happy skip in his step that was almost scary to watch.

Smiling, since that seemed like the only natural thing to do, Soujirou looked at the zabuton Kenji had handed to him and wondered what he was supposed to do with it. He was almost about to give chase after Kenji to find out when Misao stopped him with a holler. "Hey, Tenken!" Soujirou winced at her choice of calling. "Don't run away with the zabutons, lay them out on the floor already. We're going to have dinner soon. You'll need those cushions to get comfy and stuff."

"Okay, Misao-san," Soujirou nodded, a pained smile taking over his natural one. "But my name is Soujirou, not 'Tenken,' or any variation of it. I would really appreciate it if you stopped calling me that."

"Why?" The ninja girl was baffled. Genuinely baffled. "Everybody calls you that."

"No they don't-"

"Oi, Tenken," the shouji door slid open to reveal a calm, unsuspecting Enishi. "What's for dinner?"

There was a pronounced silence.

For a long, long time.

"What the hell's going on here?" Enishi was irritated by the lack of response to his question. He took a sweeping glance around the room and stopped abruptly when his glance fell on his long-time partner. "Nevermind. I don't want to die yet," he quickly covered for his previous statement. Apparently, he had been hanging out long enough around Soujirou to be able to read impending doom from the younger person's expression when he saw it. Wisely, he directed the question instead to the next available person. "Hey weasel, what's for dinner?"

It was at this point of time that Misao felt a slight twinge of understanding for Soujirou and his reprehension at being called by a nickname he did not like. "Food, you idiot," she decided that she should let it slide, just to demonstrate that she had trained her acceptance well throughout the years. "Things you eat to make sure you wake up tomorrow energized and not deflated."

Snorting, the pale-haired man took a seat beside Soujirou, who handed him a zabuton with a bit more force than usual. He accepted the cushion and carefully glanced at his companion, wondering if it was safe to sit beside him yet. Opposite them, Aoshi had already settled down comfortably, limbs folded and eyes closed in meditation. Beside the lively Misao, who flopped down beside him happily, the taller ninja was the very picture of tranquility. Misao attempted to make small talk, and Aoshi obliged by nodding or shaking his head to her queries. Before long, however, Okina entered the room, followed by Okon and Omasu, who brought along trays of prepared food for consumption.

The oldest person sat down beside Misao, scanning the room briefly. "Where is Kenji?" He asked, looking in Soujirou and Enishi's general direction. Then, a thought struck him and he turned to look at Misao instead. "You didn't drown him in the well or something, did you?"

"Jiiya!" Misao gaped. But before she could put up an argument, the boy in question stepped into the room quietly, cutting all intended conversation short. "Kenji!" She snapped instead, causing the boy to jump visibly. "Where have you been?"

"I-In the bathing room... changing my hakama... ?" He turned gingerly to face his aunt, a slight shiver precipitating through his skin. "My old one was bloodied..." he held said bloodied garment out, pointing at the large swab of blood swathed across the otherwise white cloth.

"Nevermind that, Kenji," Okina waved nonchalantly. "Sit down. We'll be having our meal soon."

Nodding, the fiery-haired boy settled down quietly beside Soujirou, who passed him a cushion as well.

The trays were set before them - a row of three guests facing a row of their three hosts. Anticipation was heavy in the air, made thicker by the suspenseful silence all in the room seemed to entertain. For a while, nothing but the shuffling of trays and clinking of porcelain could be heard. It was not until the food were completely laid out, and Okon and Omasu had departed with a cheery "Have a nice meal!" that one of the six presently in the room began to stir.

"We seem to be in need of an understanding," it turned out to be Aoshi who spoke up, surprising nearly everybody in the room, "so here is what has happened so far," he wasted no time in getting to the crux of the matter. "Saitou's predictions were right. The Oniwabanshuu acting as a decoy for the official spy network in the country has freed them to more ease of movement than if there had not been a distraction. At the same time, we were granted access to a host of spies and counter-spies who were despatched to ensure that we did not get in the way of the Yuugure organisation. That was their undoing, since we have gained some vital information through those spies. My men has just informed me about the validity of what we have gathered so far. What is left now is for us to put what we know into action."

There was an understandable, awe-struck silence after Aoshi's lengthy explanation. Even Okina blinked in surprise at his previous protege. He then coughed discreetly, so that all attention now shifted to himself.

"Aoshi is right," the older person nodded slightly, stroking his goatee. "The location of the Yuugure main headquarters is in Kyoto. And by that, we mean it to be the true base of operations, the head from which all commands and actions are sent out. This is a staggering, large-scale organisation bent on destroying this system and inciting civil uproar. And it appears we have finally secured their exact location."

"'It appears?'" Enishi raised an eyebrow at the notion. He leant away from his tray of untouched food, noticing with detached interest that none of the others had touched theirs either. "What do you mean? You say you have information but you can't confirm it. That can hardly qualify as information at all, then."

"Of course, a man of your experience will be aware of the dangers of jumping to conclusions," Aoshi cut in, looking meaningfully at Enishi, while the latter reciprocated with a challenging glare. "In this case, I assure you that it will be much easier to act when we have sterling, solid information." He paused, taking a cursory glance at his audience. "Sometimes, the hardest person to convince could be ourselves."

When the sinking silence took long enough to settle, Okina sighed at the stalemate. "The reason why we're being so cautious is really because the location this time involves an important building in Kyoto. As such, some crucial people are involved as well. It will be wise on our part not to rush in without knowing the full story. I think," Okina tapped the brim of his teacup thoughtfully, "that this is the reason why Aoshi has been keeping his silence from the official police until now."

Heads immediately turned to the tall, brooding ninja for a reaction of any sort, but were sorely disappointed to find none.

It was Enishi who eventually sneered, "That walking chimney isn't as dumb as you give him credit for." It was a jibe at Okina's defence of Aoshi, and all who were present knew it, though they knew better than to comment. After a brief pause, the white-haired man smirked and crossed his arms across his chest. "Well? What's the plan then? We gonna sit around and wait for more information to fall from the sky?"

"I have mentioned at the outset that we do need to take some form of action," Aoshi's annoyance was evident in his tone, and Enishi's smirk just grew wider when he noted that. "The Yuugure has been procuring a large supply of ceramic wares during the past few months, and we have been trying to trace that. They may wish to use these wares as an official cover for their underground work, so if we can pierce through that cloud of secrecy, we should be on the right track."

"Ceramic wares?" Soujirou spoke up for the first time since the discussion progressed into place, the light in his eye indicating that he remembered something that may be of importance. He looked to Enishi in a candid moment of confusion and enquiry, but was rewarded with nothing but a firm shake of the head on Enishi's part. His agitation ebbed slowly away, and the younger wanderer returned to staring at the food on his tray.

"There have been major, recorded trade in ceremic wares with the agents of the Yuugure," Aoshi confirmed again, choosing to ignore the silent conversation between Soujirou and Enishi. "We have been unable to track its sources yet, but information shows that there is going to be another large trade soon. This may be our one and only chance to trace the sources and fit the final puzzle. Then, we can pass the information to Saitou, and leave him to make the decisions thereon."

"Aoshi-sama is right," Misao had been playing with her pair of chopsticks and was now tapping it impatiently against her miso bowl. "Haste begets failure. What could be worse than wrong information at this point of time? It'll be better to approach this issue with caution."

Both Kenji and Enishi eyed the girl with caution indeed, both connecting her sudden words of wisdom with the possible presence of Aoshi in the same room. Only Soujirou remained poker-faced, as it was his usual expression anyway. "So," the darker-haired wanderer was saying, "how long more? How long more before we can take any sort of action at all?"

Aoshi appeared to consider the question, as he took his bowl of miso into his hand and held it at mouth-level. "Three days," he uttered in a voice that was neither loud nor soft. "Three days later, at the festival. One of the spies planted in this temple will be sure to have movement. We will commence action once that happens." Falling into silence, the tall man took a sip at the miso, before it got too cold for consumption.

On his cue, everybody else prepared to do the same. A lively jitter rippled through the air, and the tension eased slightly. While everybody else brought their food to their mouth, Aoshi set his miso bowl down and frowned more than he usually did.

"Misao," he addressed the younger ninja sombrely. "Who stirred the miso today?"

Blinking owlishly, the girl replied, "Kenji did."

"I see..." Aoshi stated mutedly, leaving all others to guess at what the problem was. Enishi took tentative sniffs at his own bowl of miso, while Soujirou courageously drank a mouthful. Everybody waited for his reaction, and got none, for he remained as poker-faced as ever. If it was even possible, his smile entered new levels of plasticity.

"Don't quote me on this," Enishi stressed, "but that look on his face probably means, 'do not touch the miso.'"

"But why?" Kenji protested edgily.

"Whatever is potent enough to shock the Tenken into that expression is reason enough for me not to touch it," the ex-mafia boss calmly explained. He then put a hand to his forehead. "Of all the things to pick up from your mother!"

Kenji's senses tingled, and he narrowed his eyes at Enishi. "How did you-" He had meant to question the comment about his mother, but could not finish his sentence when Misao cut into the conversation.

"And here I was, hoping I could set him straight before he fell into the dark side..." The ninja shook her head regretfully. Soujirou was still frozen in place, whilst Aoshi and Okina chose to concentrate on the edible food.

Distracted from Enishi's initial comment about Kaoru, the little redhead protested again, "But I didn't do anything to the miso!"

Beside him, Enishi snorted. "You stirred it." He pointed out.

"So?" Kenji rebutted, unable to see the connection.

"Your skill is so lousy you can't even stir miso without giving it new degrees of yuck." Enishi hadn't even needed to think before replying. "Must you really ask?"

Effectively shut up until he found a good way to refute that, Kenji sat through the whole of dinner with a face nearly the colour of his hair.

Nobody touched the miso anymore, and Soujirou recovered just in time for dessert.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
3/3/04  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
A/N: ya know, **firuze**? it works! O.Ox next time aoshi kicks a tantrum and refuses to talk, just threaten to marry misao to soujirou. and if there's still no response, threaten to marry her to enishi. :D he'll give in. oh yes he will. XD XD XD many thanks to firuze also for helping me settle some glaring plotholes in this chapter! m(_ _)m

  
_**And because I was in the mood:**_  
VERY VERY VERY LONG REVIEW RESPONSES (don't worry, i don't do this often XD)

**Zeromaru**: i really want to read your HP fics but... *_*x i wouldn't have a clue what's going on! XD XD XD (i have never read a single HP book b4...) hey, don't worry bout them reviews :\ they'll come in! in the meantime, I have confidence in your abilities. on and on! :D

**Sailor-Earth13**: no one in the dojo knows where kenji is at this point of time, but we'll see. XD thanks for reading!

**Silver Nightingale**: thanks for sticking with me for so long! *glomp* if you forget about me, i'd be terrified! T_Tx really!

**leblephenix**: i'm glad you liked the suspense in the chapter! :D hopefully this chapter's got enough for you too! XD

**Brittany67**: thanks! XD i really appreciate that you remembered this fic. i'm always happy to know that someone out there's enjoying it!

**Shahrezad1**: HIII!! *GLOMP* yes, you three are the three 'S's! XD too bad the new character was just a random filler ninja. XD thanks for reading!

**April-san**: *tackleglompback* APRIL-SAAAAAAAAN!!! i wrote that aoshi and soujirou scene specifically with you in mind. :) i'm so glad you liked it! monday blues! just like me! XD hope everything's better now!

**Chibi Kitten Paw Prints**: bill cosby? o.Ox you guys write the strangest reports, you know that? XD XD XD O______Ox another poem SO WELL DONE! *grovels before the chibi kitten* i will bring that poem down with me to the grave this time!! *glomp* being a kid at heart is good! :D coz children are the most fascinating creatures in this world XD *glomps again* THANK YOU!

**EEevee**: mwahahahah! i left you and fyyrrose a note in 'cat fight' ^_~x really. the insanity you guys brew would put me to shame. i'm not sure about sasori though, she can metamorphosis into a new level of insanity altogether *runs and hides from sasori* school is good! XD just don't fall to the exams!

**Fyyrrose**: *too busy laughing to do a proper review reply* no, really XD you are right. you + EE = major insanity. XD i left you and EEevee a note in 'cat fight' ^_~x hope you enjoy my version of insanity. XD well, thanks for threatening me to not kill soujirou, because actually i had at one point of time... nevermind. i should not complete that sentence if i value my life. O.Ox i'm keeling over all right. XD in laughter. taboo? i don't think so. XD *pats fyyrrose on back* glad you had fun! XD

and... **SASORI**IIIIIIIIIIIII: *grovels and begs for more time* i swear, i'm working on the timeline! O.Ox here is ma latest offering in chapter, please accept it! in the meantime, where're the rest of MBoD??! XD XD XD *glomps sasori and refuses to let go until she posts more*

and thanks to all who have been reading!


	28. 27: Interlude: Day One

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! **INSANITY! INSANITY!! INSANITY!!!**

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 27: Interlude - Day One

  
Enishi was jolted awake by a loud cry for help.

Cursing under his breath, he shot up, grabbed his sword and dashed out of the room, leaving the rousing Kenji on the futon beside him with a sleepy-eyed look of bewilderment on his face.

He pounded down the corridors, not caring who or what he was disturbing from their slumber. Following the source of the sound, he eventually skid to a stop in front of a slightly opened door looking into a room full of books. The same one he saw Aoshi in yesterday, his mind helpfully supplied. Shaking that absurdly pointless thought away, he stepped closer.

Aoshi and Misao were already there, and so was Soujirou. They were looking with apprehension at a dark, dingy corner of the room, situated right behind a mound of messy books. In particular, Misao and Soujirou were staring hard at the corner. Aoshi was just blinking nonchalantly.

And Soujirou was cowering.

Behind Aoshi.

The situation flashed 'NOT GOOD' in neon, rainbow technicolour.

"What's going on?" Enishi managed to wheeze. He hadn't realised how hard he had been running until he heard his breathless voice. Misao was the only one who turned to regard him.

"I don't know," she said frankly. "Aoshi-sama said something about cleaning up the mess in this room, so I went to bring them some tea. The next thing I knew there was somebody crying for help from the room, so I turned back and they were already like that."

Enishi barely had enough time to think before he saw a blue blur dive and cower behind him instead. "Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou sounded pained and his voice was trembling. "Help! Heelp!!" And whiney, too. "That fellow... /that fellow/ is /here/!"

Instantly the white-haired man's eyes narrowed in understanding. "Oh, /that fellow/ is here, eh?" He stared sharply at the dark corner, withdrawing his sword as he spoke - much to the horror of everybody else who was not cowering in the room at the moment. "I'll teach that fellow a lesson this time!"

With a leap and a metallic swinging sound - Enishi lunged at the corner. There proceeded to be noise and flying books. And to cut a long story short, Enishi punctured a hole in the ex-corner, which was now a ventilation dent instead. Yes, it was a very large hole.

Misao held her head with her hands and screamed, "What do you think you're doing?! My library!" She obviously had put much effort into making this room cozy for Aoshi. Who, by the way, was eyeing the only exit of the room with strange fascination.

"Never underestimate your enemy, ninja," Enishi began in his pseudo wiseman tone. He made another swipe, and to cut another long story short, the paper-and-wood wall crumpled to the ground, revealing the empty room beside it. "Especially /that fellow/! The single most disgusting thing in existence - even more so than my brother-in-law! So small, but so powerful!!"

As if on cue, /that fellow/ scurried out from one of the upturned books and paused dramatically in the middle of the room, staring at the opponents with smug apathy.

Misao's eyebrow twitched.

"A cockroach. A /COCKROACH/!!" Her screech went unheard, for Enishi continued to attack the household pest, which took cover under every and any thing it could squeeze into.

"Dammit, this thing is too fast!" The white-haired man was saying as he brushed by Misao with a sword strike that would have taken her hair and half her shoulder off if his aim had been bad. Her eyebrow twitched some more. "Tenken! Stop cowering like a damsel in distress and do your Shukuchi thing!"

In reply, Soujirou just shook his head fiercely, from where he cowered behind Misao. Aoshi had apparently fled the scene somewhere in between Enishi tearing up the books to Enishi ripping down the walls, and was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Misao saw the birth of a new life principle.

If you can't beat them, you join them.

With a loud warcry she gathered all the kunais she had hidden in her various articles of clothings and flung them at the filthy intruder. As all the darts flew frighteningly close to a) the scurrying cockroach and b) Enishi, it was unclear who, in her eyes, was the true filthy intruder. Nevertheless, after losing both his cowering pillars, Soujirou now cowered behind the doorpost, looking into the room in dread, wondering if he fled for it now, would the cockroach scurry out and follow him? Damnable little pests. The ninja extraordinaire of Kyoto and the man formerly feared in all of Shanghai could not hope to even glimpse at its feelers. What sheer power!

And, it was into this scene that Kenji walked.

"What the-" he gasped and almost did not manage to duck from one of Misao's wildly flying kunais. Putting a hand over his heart, he demanded, "What was that for?!"

Two pairs of eyes turned on him with murderous intent.

"BELOW YOU!" Yelled the voices which belonged to the eyes in amazing unity. Kenji took just a split second to pause, then scrambled to look at what monstrosity was lurking below him.

His eyes flashed when he recognised the sturdy shape of the resident household pest. With great bravoda he lifted one sandled foot up.

And crushed the little creature beneath it.

There was silence.

"Is it-" Soujirou gulped, from his position behind the doorpost, "-gone?"

Kenji narrowed his eyes in concentration, wriggling his toes. It was as if he believed wriggling his toes would tell him whether the creature beneath his foot was dead or not. "I'm going to lift my foot up now..."

"NO!!" The darker-haired wanderer immediately cried, his knuckles white against the doorpost. "No! No you don't! You don't do anything until we're sure that thing is dead! Like, upside down with all its legs pointing to the skies! Twitching and spasming and immobile! Never able to stand up again to terrorise anymore poor, innocent soul-"

"Kenji," a deep, rumbling voice cut Soujirou short, and Aoshi moved into view from wherever he had come from, with a large wooden basin in his hands. "Take your foot up when I count to three."

"Shinomori-saan~~" Soujirou wailed in protest.

"Don't be such a wuss, Tenken," Enishi sighed. But there was no real malevolence in his tone.

"But I-"

"One..."

"Stop that already. Do you have any idea how ridiculous it is for the second most powerful man in the Juppongatana to be afraid of a stupid cockroach?"

"Two..."

"But they-"

"Three."

Kenji obediently lifted his foot up, expecting to see a flattened household pest, considering the sheer amount of strength he had applied to his foot when stamping down on the cockroach.

There was no such thing.

The cockroach jerked onto its feet, and scurried towards the closest source of heat it could find.

Soujirou.

"Meep!" The boyish wanderer immediately leapt behind Aoshi in a feat of agility. "Stay away!" He wailed.

Enishi, on the other hand, had gotten into a pose and was about to rip the cockroach's head out, possibly along with at least ten floorboards of the corridor. Behind him, Misao was taking accurate aims to pin the pest to the pathways by its six legs - meaning she was also about to do considerable damage to the flooring. Soujirou looked like he was going to jump onto the ceiling with the help of Aoshi's head - that would also mean destruction of several planks of wood and most probably Aoshi's hairdo. Kenji gaped in general annoyance, while Aoshi slowly removed the lid to the basin he held in his hands.

Before anyone else had the chance to move, Aoshi tipped the container and out gushed its contents. It washed across the wood smoothly, drowning everybody's toes and the cockroach which had stopped moving the moment it touched the clear liquid. It froze, as more ripples of the liquid washed across its body, until finally, it slumped against the floor with what Kenji thought was foam at its mouth.

It was not until the liquid stopped sloshing down the corridor that Soujirou found his voice.

"What," there was awe in the wanderer's tone, "new, secret, lethal, unadulterated rat poison was that, Shinomori-san?!"

Aoshi remained silent, although everybody turned their expectant eyes upon him. What one able ninja, one mafia boss and one genius swordsman could not achieve, this palpable gush of translucent fluid had. The object of their intense enmity now laid prostrate, curled up as a article of oblivion. What was the secret to the easy conquering of this unhealthy, indestructible beast?! They just had to know!

The tallest man among them all made a noise akin to a sigh. He passed the now empty basin to Kenji and said.

"That was last night's leftover miso."

Before stalking back to wherever he had emerged from.

It took ten seconds for everybody to register what Aoshi had said.

"Whoever said the redhead was anything like his father needs to get his tongue checked," Enishi mused aloud.

And the temple heard nothing but loud guffaws for the rest of the day.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
24/3/04  
xd@tougenkyou.net


	29. 28: Interlude: Day Two

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! **INSANITY! INSANITY!! INSANITY!!!**

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 28: Interlude - Day Two

  
Kenji hadn't gotten out of bed, even by noon. And it was little wonder. You wouldn't want to get out of bed either if you had just spent an entire day fighting off taunts and jokes about how your cooking sucked stronger than a dry sponge in an oasis, would you?

Nevermind it was the absolute truth.

In an attempt to salvage whatever was left of the boy's self-confidence, Misao had to drag him kicking and screaming from his room into the courtyards, where Aoshi, Soujirou and Enishi were engaged in menial sparring matches - moving as sluggishly as the snail did in summer. Come to think of it, it /was/ pretty hot on Day Two. And Aoshi /did/ pretty much admit that he'd tested all he wanted that night during the drinking festival, much to Soujirou's dismayed amusement. And the conversation went something like this:

"So it really was you!"  
"No duh."  
"Why?"  
"Because, duh."  
"Really?"  
"Duh."  
"Come on, Shinomori-san."  
"Duh. And duh. And Yuugure. And stuff."  
"Yuugure?" - Enishi  
"They fight. They can knock teeth off without guns."  
"No shit." - Enishi  
"Good."  
"Ahahahaha." - Soujirou  
"So I had to make sure you guys are still good enough to not get your teeth knocked off."  
"Why you little-"

Misao gladly intercepted before the beautiful zen garden of the temple the abbot had so graciously allowed them to take walks in got razed to the ground in the blazing fury of an Aoshi Versus Enishi aftermath. She re-introduced a wildly struggling Kenji to the trio, who showed no signs of remembering anything that had happened on Day One. She then recommended that they picked on Kenji instead - albeit she concealed it with better language. After all, if they wanted to spar, they could always spar with Himura's prodigy son, couldn't they?

Despite the boy's protests, the men seemed very interested. And the fights went something like this:

Aoshi beat Kenji. Bad.

Soujirou thrashed Kenji. Beyond a doubt.

Enishi nearly nailed Kenji into a tree. Until they all realised they were using wooden swords. Then they all released the breaths they had been holding.

Misao then banished everybody into kitchen duty for the rest of the day. Except Kenji, who was allowed to return to his room.

"Maa, one day Himura-san will grow up to be like his father," Soujirou was saying, while trying to fight a greasy stain off a dinner china. Those things were even more stubborn than Shishio on a bad hair day, he swore! "Just give him a little more time to polish his skills..."

And the temple heard nothing but the loud wails of a boy claiming injustice and demanding new salve every now and then for the rest of the day.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
24/3/04  
xd@tougenkyou.net


	30. 29: Interlude: Day Three

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! **INSANITY! INSANITY!! INSANITY!!!**

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 29: Interlude - Day Three

  
The whole temple awoke to the piercing screams of a damsel in distress.

The damsel being Misao and the distress being the laundry.

Since this was a temple with many aides and servants wandering about everyday, for whatever reason they had to dwell in the abode, it meant that there was an immense amount of clothing daily to make clean. Since Misao was still on her little attempt to give Kenji something to do other than brood in his room, she dragged him kicking and screaming (again) to the area designated for laundry, and decided that nothing should go wrong this time, since /she/ was going to do the washing and /he/ was just going to watch and pass her some soap and powder every now and then.

Day Three was the day she realised that optimism could be a fatal flaw.

As they stared at the mess of starchy, stuck clothes stacked mountain-high in front of them, Misao sighed.

"So tell me, when I said 'washing powder,' why on earth did you pass me the flour?"

Kenji's response was to look at the two bags of white substance in his hands.

"Aren't they the same thing?"

Misao swore never to let Kenji anywhere near the kitchen again. Never ever. EVER. And she made everybody else swear too.

"Not a bit! Not a single freaking bit like your father at all!"

Kenji yawled like his life depended upon it and returned to his room in hysterics. He refused to let Soujirou or Enishi in, forcing them to have to spend the night on the corridor outside the room that night instead.

It was in the middle of the night, while sniffing his eyeballs out at how unfair and unjust this whole world was, that Kenji realised something.

With his uber lack of household abilities, nobody had seen him in the shadow of his father for three whole days already!

Whoopie!

Now that he thought about it, his lack of skill pertaining to housework was truly something worth celebrating!!

...

Or maybe not.

  
... to be continued  
--------------  
24/3/04  
xd@tougenkyou.net

  
a/n  
for anybody going 'what the heck were these 3 stupid chapters all about?!', i'm afraid i'll have to tell you that i've been hit by momentary insanity and have not been able to keep my head on the right way for weeks. oh, uhm, don't worry, the next chapter will bring us back to serious stuff. -.-x i enjoyed writing the insanity while it lasted. hope you liked it too. XD

  
**Shadow's Assasin**: actually, i'm sou/mis!!! *runs* glad ya like the fic tho!!  
**EEevee**: i really hope you enjoyed your spring break! :D and please tell fyyrrose not to kill me! *runs*  
**Sailor-Earth13**: oooh! you noticed the ceramics. XD XD XD nice going! *hands you a cookie*  
**Silver Nightingale**: thank you so much *glomp* !! :D kenji and cooking does not go together!! XD  
**zeromaru**: i'd be glad to be of any help! XD send away!  
**fritz**: kurogane? heck yeah! O_Ox but i never- whaaa .x it is a great honour to be compared to an animated feature film. thank you for being dragged back! XD rk is too fun to give up for too long XD XD XD  
**mirune**: *squirms* i'm sorry! i'm really sorry! m(_ _)m i only hope this fic entertained you enough for your weekends! thank you for even paying attention! please stick around! XD  
**shahrezad1**: nobody can be perfect after all! XD i think getting kaoru's cooking is... fair enough! XD  
**souten**: yes! they are the invincible... three musketeers!! (no really, that was the original title for this fic o_Ox)  
**misaoshiru**: ganbare and work hard and add oil for your fic!  
**chibi and chan**: no worries! i'm just so glad you're still reading! :D  
**fyyrrose&raven**: noo!! stay away! please don't hurt me! *____*x i didn't mean anything about sou i said! the ranting! the sheer ranting! *dies foaming at the mouth* *wakes up slightly* hey! saitou is cool in kurogane! *dies again*  
**sasori**: *GLOMP* homework treating you well? XD  
**lebleuphenix**: ooh um, kamatari eh? i think he'll be making an appearance soon. i hope!  
**kitiara**: yes, kenji and kaoru's cooking + kenshin's looks = lethal mix. i think we all agree. XD  
**EK**: *glomp* why are you apologising? *_*x don't! please don't! if you read this fic i'm overjoyed! if not i'm still happy you paid attention to it! please take your time! m(_ _)m  
drunken little monkey: glad you liked the humour. XD  
**april-san**: and you! no! no begging for forgiveness! there is nothing to forgive! *glomp* *grabs the beer* *chugs* dang, getting dizzy... woosh! yes, three days! over very soonish! XD  
**angrybee**: mwah! so i'm not the only person dabbling with fanfics during work. *hi-fives* XD XD XD  
**mary-ann**: i love the way you described it - they have good dynamics. :D they sure do! *hugz* thanks!  
**firuze**: i hope life is good! :) and that everything settles down! don't get too stressed out! *glomp*


	31. 30: Heart To Heart

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.  
  
WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!  
  
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 30: Heart To Heart  
  
  
Kenji had always had an affinity with rooftops - he mused silently to himself as he stared wordlessly into the inky-black skies, dotted with clear, sparkling stars. Or at least, that was what Yahiko kept telling him. It seems like when Kenji was still a toddler, he would climb rooftops of houses and stayed there for hours until someone finally noticed either that he was missing or that there was a strange crying sound coming from above their ceilings. It was not a kind of childhood he thought he should be proud of having, or thinking about, but somehow it warmed his heart slightly to imagine the reactions of the people who saw a little toddler sitting atop a roof. Unconsciously, he chuckled to himself.  
  
"Himura-san..." the soft, ghostly voice of Soujirou shook him from his train of thought. He turned around to stare questioningly at the furtive wanderer, who was visible only by the head and a few fingers on the roof tiles.  
  
"What?" Kenji snapped, still sore over the events of the previous few days. Soujirou, however, remained undaunted.  
  
"Have you seen Yukishiro-san?" His question was serious and taut, and he was not wearing a smile on his face. Kenji shrank backwards slightly, wondering if Soujirou had missed his medication and whether if that was life-threatening to innocent passers-by like himself. He shook his head as a negative indication, and the slight sparkle of hope in Soujirou's eyes were snuffed out. "Oh," he muttered. "Thank you."  
  
And with a slight whooshing sound, he slipped away from sight.  
  
Before Kenji could even wonder what in the world had just happened, a dark shadow loomed over him from behind. He tensed, then felt a hand clasp over his mouth tightly. Too shocked to respond for the first few seconds, he eventually blinked and started to struggle. If any spy or crook thought he could cross Himura Kenji's path and get away with it, then he was in for some kickass biting!  
  
"Shut up and stop struggling you little nimwit!" The harsh, whispering voice that belonged to the 'crook,' however, was anything but unfamiliar. "And stop trying to bite me! Just keep quiet!"  
  
Kenji quietened down and stayed still as commanded, wondering what Enishi was up to. Before long, the white-haired man gave a low sigh of relief and released the boy from captivity, standing up and looking all over the area beneath him. Satisfied with his conclusion - whatever it had been, he settled down quietly beside Kenji.  
  
"Stop staring at me like that," Enishi frowned and warned the boy. "I'm just sitting on the roof. I'm not doing anything illegal, all right?"  
  
"What did you do to Soujirou?" Kenji shot back, not wanting to hear excuses. "He looked seriously... serious. When he asked for you just now."  
  
"Don't worry about the Tenken," Enishi waved it off. "He's just angry I took the shinai your mother gave him and gave it to the weasel girl."  
  
The redhead's eyes widened with disbelief. "Why did you do that for?! That stick of bamboo is his /life/! You shouldn't have-... ... wait. My mother. My mother gave him that shinai." The boy deadpanned the last few sentences the way Enishi had, narrowing his eyes at the older person. "... really?"  
  
Instead of being offended, Enishi just stared at the boy. "The weasel said she knew someone who could fix that useless piece of junk, so I thought I'd be nice and do the Tenken a favour. I didn't think he'd take it /that/ seriously. As for what went on between your parents and that over-sensitive baby, you'd best be asking either one of them. /I/ sure as anything don't have the full details." He snorted.  
  
An uncomfortable silence followed.  
  
Kenji continued staring at the night skies, his unreadable facade betrayed only by the grim line he held his lips in, as if he was having a serious internal debate. Enishi, on the other hand, donned a completely oblivious expression. In truth, he was dying to get away. But he feared the wrath he had to face if Soujirou managed to get his hands on him. Between waiting out the dawn with a moody teenager and having to constantly escape from one of the most dangerous man in Japan, he gladly settled for the former...  
  
"You knew him, didn't you."  
  
... and suddenly the former didn't seem quite so much better than the latter anymore. Enishi sighed.  
  
"If I were a smartass I'd ask you who the hell you're talking about," the ex-mafia boss rolled his eyes. "But I'll leave the tomfoolery for the Tenken. You're right. I did know him. Himura Kenshin." The white-haired man stretched, then laid down on his back against the tiles of the roof. "The feared Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu - a master of his art, disappeared after Meiji was founded." He paused. "And a pathetic man with a pathetic personality to boot. Pah."  
  
Kenji's interest was peaked. He had never heard anyone badmouthing his father before. "What do you mean?" He asked innocently.  
  
The older person gave him a scrutinizing glare. "I'm warning you," he began, slowly, "that whatever I'm going to say about your stupid father is not going to be pleasant. Nor is it going to be sugarcoated. I speak my mind and I'm not afraid of telling you things the way I see it. Do you really need my opinion of that man when you have a lot of other better choices out there?"  
  
The muscles in Kenji's face tightened, and he felt a roaring flame of challenge raise up within his heart. "I don't care what you say about him," Kenji rebutted stubbornly. "It's not going to change /my/ opinion anyway."  
  
The silence was brief, but urgent. After a while, with slight impatience, Kenji turned to stare unhappily at Enishi.  
  
"Well?" He prompted.  
  
"Well what?" Enishi snorted. "What's there to talk about? That man was a jerk of the highest order! He took my sister away from me and made my life a living hell! I've been plotting for decades what's the best way to skin him alive. Too bad he died before getting to try them out, hah!"  
  
Kenji's mind, however, was focused on something else Enishi had said. "Your... your sister?! My mother was... was your sister??!" There was a look of pure disbelief and agony on the little Himura's face. He had something else to say in continuation, but no noise came out of his moving lips. Enishi then whipped around and pinned at the younger person with a scorching glare.  
  
"Watch your words, bumbling idiot! And my sister died a long time before your father even met your mother." There was a hidden spark buried beneath Enishi's eyes as he continued quietly, "He killed her." Kenji did not fail to notice the wistful tone behind his words. "She was the only thing that mattered to me... the only person I was living for..."  
  
Unsure of what he should say in reply, the young boy blabbered the first thing that came to his mind.  
  
"That's /some/ sister complex."  
  
It was only a second later that Kenji realised what he had just uttered, and he clapped one hand over his mouth in belated dismayal. Fearing for the worse, he turned around and sneaked a glance at Enishi from the corner of his eyes, noticing with consolation that the white-haired man had no apparent interest in strangling the life out of him there and then. Instead, his eyes were glossed over with thought and he was staring out at nothing in particular. The boy lowered his hand and blinked. Enishi brooded on an hourly basis, but it was hardly every day he saw him this pensive. Concluding that it was probably fine to push the issue, he added, "So you admit to having a sister complex?"  
  
This time, Enishi did turn around to narrow his eyes at the young boy, although there was no malicious intent in his stare. "I heard you the first time, boy. I do /not/ have a sister complex. I just don't bother to react anymore because Soujirou's been taunting me with it everyday for the past few years of my life." He harrumphed and glanced back up at the stars. "Not like he had very healthy hobbies in the past himself."  
  
A pause.  
  
"... so, you knew my father through your sister..."  
  
"I knew your father through a lot of people, boy," Enishi shook his head. "The legendary hitokiri who spilled more blood than he saved - a self-righteous little man who disappeared into the shadows of the new era after his dirty job was done. Your father wasn't always very popular, mind you. To me, even now, he's still the worst kind of jerk to have ever walked Japan." He sighed. "So stop beating around the bush already. What do you really want to know? You're not expecting me to tell you my personal opinion of a man you've already condemned just so that you can condemn him further, are you?"  
  
There was something in the sharp, straightforward way Enishi had spoken those words that struck a real chord in Kenji's heart. All his life he had tried to be spiteful and bitter, just so that the people around him could hate him, be angry with him, and give him a reason to run away from his problems.  
  
But the more he was bitter, the more they got careful with his words. Besides Yahiko, who was angry all the time anyway, Kenji found himself more and more disgusted with how the others in the family tried to act like they were concerned. The way he saw it, they were never concerned. They merely saw his father in him. And the more he thought about it, the more callous and inosolent he became.  
  
Nobody understood how he felt  
  
And looking at it in a certain manner, it was true.  
  
It had been a long time since someone asked him bluntly to 'get to the point.'  
  
"I just wanted to hear..." Kenji began uneasily, unsure of what to say to this man that would convey his real thoughts without sounding too contrived. "... about him. That man they call my father. Hear an opinion about him that isn't sugar-coated with with romantic details for once. I want to hear something objective for once - and not about someone who sounds so grand, so noble, and so good that he cannto be the same father I've known all my life."  
  
"Well he was a downright jerk anyway I see it," Enishi offered as an immediate response, sitting straight and crossing his arms. "I'm not surprised he had problems with his family. He always had high and mighty goals - goals that one man alone cannot achieve by himself. And he knew that. But still he had this 'i must at least try!' concept embedded deep into his psyche. He thought it was ideal. I thought it was stupid. And the worst part about it was," Enishi breathed, "that he actually /expected/ his family to understand."  
  
Beside him, Kenji's muscles tensed involuntarily, but he cocked his ears and listened on, fully fascinated.  
  
"Himura Kenshin was a very private, secretive man," Enishi mumbled. "If he had something to keep from you, you wouldn't find out until you threatened to kill someone in front of him. Even then he would just only reveal partial information. He's the worst kind of targets you can have to spy on." His shoulders shrugged slightly, as if in remembrance of something from a time long ago. "He brought that secretivity into his marriage, I'm assuming. Because old habits just die hard."  
  
"What has that got to do with his marriage life anyway?" Kenji frowned.  
  
Shaking his head, Enishi looked semi-accusingly at the boy. "Can't you see? You can't commit yourself to someone else if you're going to keep your life shrouded in secrecy. That person has to at least know something about you. That was essentially what was wrong with that man. It was a good thing your mother understood him without having to ask too many questions. I doubt if you would have even been born at the rate he was going."  
  
"..." Kenji blinked into the starry distance. "... you know pretty much about my family, don't you..."  
  
"Let's just say that at one certain part of my life I seriously had nothing better to do," Enishi admitted without fanfare. "Don't get me wrong. I hated your father and I still do. And the more I watched him the more I felt sorry for anyone related to him. Feh. What are grand ideals of saving the world when you can't even deal with the chaos that resides in your family? He was an idealistic fool, all the way until his death. I have no condolences for anyone who chose to willingly suffer for that idiot-"  
  
Before either had a chance to pause after Enishi's explanation, a lithe, dark shadow burst into the scene with a long row of rattling roof tiles. It landed just in front of Enishi and pointed a finger at him. "YOU!!"  
  
Gulping at the murderous aura, Kenji barely managed to squeak, "Oba-..."  
  
The evil glare Misao shot in his direction promptly shut him up.  
  
Turning back to her target, she stepped slightly back and screeched again, "What the hell are you doing here, hiding away from plain sight? Do you /know/ how scary it is to have a /lunatic/ like the Tenken slink into the dojo in the ungodly hours of midnight /demanding/ to know where you are?! And he wasn't even smiling!"  
  
Enishi raised an eyebrow at the girl's exaggerated motions. "You were the one who volunteered to fix his shinai. So I stole it from him and handed it to you. He's just in slight shock about his loss. He'll get over it soon."  
  
A pause.  
  
"It was /HIS/ shinai?!"  
  
"Will you stop shouting?!" Enishi raised his voice in tensed anger. "And did you really think /I/ would prance around the streets of Japan with nothing but a piece of broken bamboo for protection? Who do you think I am? A retired Himura Kenshin preaching his own version of post-war ideals?"  
  
The girl's eyes narrowed. "Listen up, Yukishiro," she struck a pose against the midnight breeze, "what Himura preached were never his ideals!" And Kenji sighed, waiting to hear another long winded defence from Misao about his father. "He was talking nonsense half the time!" The boy facefaulted and almost rolled off the roof. Oblivious, Misao continued, "I /really/ wouldn't call them ideals, since they didn't really work most of the time and were mainly just life philosophies that seemed to work for him and him alone." She breathed. "Still, you gotta hand it to him for being able to live a life based on principles normal people like me don't even understand! Hey! Stop diverting the topic! Why was the Tenken looking for you anyway? Because of the shinai?"  
  
Enishi breathed out to the atmosphere. "I hate repeating myself," he mumbled, much to Misao's annoyance.  
  
"And I hate dealing with stuck-ups like you!" She screeched, before hopping off the roof and dashing down the corridors into another part of the temple.  
  
Kenji gaped after her disappearing form.  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it," the older person said while shrugging, "she'll be all right after screaming a bit at the old man and the ice block."  
  
Pausing for a while, Kenji eventually replied, "I don't think that was the issue at hand, though..."  
  
Footsteps slowly began to get louder, and another shadow began to progressively loomed over the duo, through the empty space between where they sat. It was moving with slack, dangerously like a predator upon its prey, and Kenji could hear himself gulp. He was too young to die! Too young! But Soujirou wouldn't kill him for something he hadn't done, would he? Would he?!  
  
"I'm here to inform you to be present for the meeting tomorrow morning," the dull intonation of Aoshi made sudden relief flood through Kenji's body. For a moment he really thought Soujirou was going to pounce on them and lop both their heads off for taking his shinai away from him! "And Soujirou is looking for you," Aoshi continued, eyeing Enishi as he spoke.  
  
"It has yet to occur to his little brain that I do not wish to be found by him, has it?" The white-haired man mused to himself.  
  
"Probably not," was the reply, after a brief spat of silence.  
  
"Well, as long as you guys don't give me away, I'm sure he'll just keep looking until tomorrow morning."  
  
"Yes, he probably will be," the clear, tenor voice continued.  
  
"Do you have a cold or something, Shinomori?" Enishi snickered. "You're beginning to sound like..." He stopped, eyes slightly widened in surprise. Turning around hesitantly to look behind him, Enishi had expected to see the tall figure of the Oniwabanshuu leader, but found only the small form of his travelling partner looking at him in the eye with not so much as a twitch of the lips.  
  
"Shinomori-san has left," Soujirou was saying, and a cold wind blew from the north. "I followed him here because Kashiwazaki-san asked him to inform you about tomorrow- AH!! Yukishiro-san! Stop right there!!" Soujirou had yet to even finish his sentence when Enishi leapt off the roof and fled into the shadows beneath. The former right-hand-man of Shishio immediately gave chase. "Stop there!!" He shouted into the night.  
  
After a short racket of stomps and rustles, the temple returned to its former state.  
  
Absolute silence.  
  
Itching to give chase after his two fellow travellers, Kenji decided that he would find out what had happened the next day anyway. He chose instead, to sit down at on the roof and stare up at the mesmerizing Kyoto night skies.  
  
He wondered if this was the same sky his father saw, on the night he had perished.  
  
  
... to be continued  
--------------  
19/6/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd  
  
a/n  
wow, this took me 3 months! :O  
i've been wondering about ff:net's new policy about no keyboard style entries even in the author's notes. eeh... does that mean we're not allowed to reply to reviews in stories anymore? :O if anyone knows, please tell me! otherwise, please allow me to say a big thank you to all readers and reviewers for sticking with me thus far! THANK YOU!! OOx  



	32. 31: Action Reaction

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 31: Action Reaction  
  
  
Kenji inadvertably spent the whole night on the rooftop alternating between sleeping and star-gazing.

He had not felt like going back down at all, enjoying the feel of the open air much more than he thought he would. Dawn came, and the temple slowly stirred into action, however, and the redhead remembered he had to be present for breakfast. He sat up, stretched, and leapt off the roof, giving a few sleepy servants a hearty jump-start to their mornings. He eyed their shocked countenances strangely, then ran off without a word to find his two companions.

The temple servants gradually continued along their way, murmuring among themselves about the recent addition of colourful guests and how unhealthy it was to suffer from a heart attack first thing in the morning.

As the bulk of them left, one particular servant stayed behind in the shadows. He looked at the retreating figure of Kenji with something akin to diabolical disdain, before quickly losing himself in a random group of servants who walked by his spot along the corridor.

When they passed, he was gone.

And Kenji's shadow grew just that little bit longer - unbeknownst to all.  
  
  
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He found Soujirou, incidentally, after he had consciously given up searching for the man. As he headed towards the well to get some water to wake himself up, he saw that Soujirou was already there, pacing along by the boundaries of the forest beyond. As Kenji pondered if he should turn tail and run, he noticed that the wanderer had his smile back in full force and sighed with relief inwardly.

"Hey, Soujirou!" The young boy called out, trying to keep his voice as detached and deadpan as he could. Soujirou stopped pacing and glanced up at the approaching redhead, smile stretching wider.

"Good morning, Himura-san," he greeted simply, standing to face the boy fully. His smile was so large and obviously strained, Kenji wondered if it was wise to go near him at all.

Standing a safe distance away, he gestured, "What are you doing here? It's almost time for breakfast."

Soujirou took some time to consider that question. "I'm waiting for Yukishiro-san, of course," he eventually said, and if possible, his smile grew even wider. "So that we can go together."

As for the boy, he was secretly surprised that Soujirou hadn't slaughtered the white-haired man yet. If yesterday night's episode was any indication, he now knew to never mess with Soujirou's personal belongings, unless he wanted to be pursued and traumatised for the next few days of his life.

"Well..." the boy tried to find something to say, so that he could get Soujirou out of the way of the well. Currently he was afraid to even take a step closer in fear of getting into the bad books of the boyish looking wanderer. Said wanderer had that glint in his eye that screamed 'this is my territory, get out or else' and Kenji did not like it at all. "Well anyway, whatever it is, I don't think Obasan would appreciate it very much if you let her food go cold. I hear that she'll be heading out to some weaponsmith or something later too, though I wonder what she would want to go there for..." he trailed off purposefully, glancing at Soujirou from the corner of his eyes.

True to his predictions, the wanderer's smile literally paused. "Really?" His voice was suspended with anticipation.

Kenji shrugged. "Dunno, you may want to check with her," he lied without batting a single eyelid. His skin was uncomfortable and his mouth needed a wash, dammit. He was getting to that well by hook or by crook!

"I see," Soujirou's next words were muted, and unsmiling. Soon, however, the corners of his lips curled upwards and he began hopping towards the temple interior. "I guess I'll head for breakfast first, then. See you later, Himura-san! Say hello to Yukishiro-san for me, too."

"Say what to who??" Kenji repeated dumbly, but Soujirou was already out of hearing range. Still wondering what that was all about, Kenji walked towards the well - finally! - and picked up the bucket beside it. As he prepared to dip the pail into the long awaited, refreshing throes of water, a tuff of demonic white hair suddenly poked out from the void of darkness that was the well interior. And not just that. Slowly, more and more of the white could be seen, some of it dirtied with the grime that was laden along the insides of the well, others with a gooey green, unknown substance that emitted a smell that would have the proudest skunks fleeing in a split second.

It was simply terrifying, Kenji thought as his heart skipped a beat, to see a netherworldly creature so early in the morning.

So the boy did what anyone else would have done.

He dropped the bucket, stumbled backwards and prepared to scream like a little girl.

"If that's you, little red riding hood, then you better shut up before I do something drastic," the cold, slightly panicked voice of Enishi cut off all further action from Kenji. One wet and fungus filled hand slapped itself over the edge of the well, and the other followed soon after. Not long after that, Kenji gawked openly as a rather filthy looking and filthy smelling Enishi hauled himself out from the hole in the well and crouched close to the bricks, glancing around himself with the expression of a terrified prey. "Is that drama-mama gone yet?"

The boy blinked. He glanced around the environment as well, not able to feel the presence of anyone else other than him and Enishi. Picking the upset bucket up from the ground and coughing to regain his composure, he walked towards the well to really draw some water out this time, all the while eyeing the distraught Enishi strangely. "He's been gone for a while now," he informed the man.

"Are you sure?" Enishi glanced sharply at the boy. "There's someone else--..." As if a sudden revelation struck him, Enishi stopped abruptly in his sentence. He narrowed his eyes, which were no longer darting around in fear. Slowly, he stood and brushed the broken grass off his pants. He thoroughly swept through the terrain with thoughtful eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kenji asked, as quietly as he could. He could tell that there was a possibly serious situation on hand, and did not want to jeopardise whatever plan Enishi had in his head at the moment with the wrong words.

Enishi only replied after a brief bout of silence. "Nothing, boy," he wrinkled his nose in disgust as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You stink, that's all."

Frozen in action immediately with those words, Kenji gripped the handles of the just drawn bucket tightly with untold incredulity on his face, until his fists turned white with indignation.

Overhead, the roosting birds squawked and escaped from their nests with terrified exclamations when they heard a loud shout of protest followed by a humongous splash of well water.  
  
  
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When Kenji and Enishi entered the room, everybody turned to stare. Not because they were late - although they were indeed the last pair to show up - but because Enishi was a literal dripping mess, and Kenji was emanating more anti-people vibes than they had ever seen him emit in the few days he stayed there. The people already present instinctively leaned backwards.

"Settle down, please," Okina, probably the only one unperturbed by the strange turn of event, said. "We can't have a proper meal like this. Misao, fetch him a towel."

The girl snapped out of her trance and stared at Okina for a while. She then wordlessly stood and exited the room to get something for Enishi to help dry himself with.

"Kenji, sit down," Okina continued to instruct, puffing heedlessly on his pipe. The redhead nodded once and settled down somewhere beside Soujirou, taking a cursory glance at the room. Besides Enishi, who was looking comical enough standing near the doorway dripping water all over the floor, the rest were seemingly encased in a block of serious aura. He shifted slightly.

"What are we supposed to do?" He finally asked.

"We'll speak when Misao gets here," Okina replied, still puffing his pipe. As if on cue, the door slid open again and Misao stepped in.

She threw a towel in Enishi's face and sat back at where she had been seated beside Okina. Undaunted, the white-haired man simply grabbed the towel and sighed. "I don't think I can get myself dried in time. I'll just sit here," he said, and promptly sat in the puddle of water he had gathered around his feet, towel over his neck. "We can start now." He closed his eyes and leaned against the doorpost pensively.

There was silence.

"Well, that is true," Okina spoke up again, when it seemed like no one else was going to. "Shall we eat while we talk, then?" He did not wait for a response, immediately taking up his chopsticks and fingering the food before him.

Everybody watched as he took a bite into the fish.

He chewed.

He swallowed.

And continued eating without turning blue or purple in the face.

"Joy! The food isn't poisoned today!" Enishi said in a sing-song voice, entirely out of character, but yet frighteningly in character at the same time. "Thank whoever kept the red away from the kitchen!"

"You!!" Kenji had one foot up and was ready to headbutt Enishi if need be, if Aoshi hadn't silenced him with a stern glance. He slinked back onto his zabuton with a pout on his face.

"Cheer up, Himura-san," Soujirou was saying in between bites, "wrinkles don't look nice on young people."

"Shut up, Soujirou," he muttered, and picked his portion up to begin his meal as well.

Other than a few hiccups and a couple more jibes at Kenji's inability to cook, the meal went on without any major conflicts and food fights.

"I believe," the oldest person in the room was saying while prodding at the remaining food on his tray, when enough time had passed for the meal to be properly consumed by all present, "the time has come for us to tell you a bit more about what we know."

Enishi looked like he was about to say something sarcastic in reply, but was stopped by Okina's outstretched palm. "Patience, young man. Let me finish first."

The ex-mafia boss simmered down unhappily, and waited.

"The spies in this temple," Okina continued, when he was sure he had everybody's attention, "were what led us to a big discovery. Apparently, the Yuugure headquarters has been engaging in legal trading with one of the local Kyoto artisans," he paused to see several people looking at him curiously, "and although they deal legally with that artisan, they also deal very secretly - both parties with each other."

"So you don't know who this artisan is," Enishi compounded, eyes narrowed.

"We are not sure," the older person replied.

"That means you have an idea," the white-haired man pressed on.

A sigh. "You really love to push, young man," Okina shook his head. "Yes, we do have an idea. But until we have solid proof that the idea is fact, then we cannot release the information to the police."

"Not even to us?" Soujirou quipped at this point of time, vaguely interested.

"No, not even to you."

"Then what's the point of this meeting?" Enishi grumbled. "If you weren't going to tell us anything in the first place."

"The point of this meeting," it was Aoshi, who surprised everybody by speaking ahead of Okina, "is to invite you to join us in today's investigation." The tall ninja opened his eyes - previously shut in seeming meditation, to survey the surprised faces of the people in the room. "There is just one last lead we need to trace to confirm the identity of our secret artisan. Once that is done, we gladly relinquish the right of the information to your personal handling, whatever the outcome may be."

Although confused, Kenji remarked, "Personal handling? You know, all of you make it seem like it's such a big crime to hand this information over to the police or something. Is that artisan guy someone important?"

"I have no qualms about disclosing the identity of the artisan to the police," Aoshi responded stiffly, his eyes closed again. "But somebody else in among us may."

The smile on Soujirou's face turned pensive, and Enishi's stern glance started to travel to the floor.

Kenji simply stared at them both, not fully understanding.

"Soujirou," before the uncomfortable silence proceeded any further, Okina's voice could be heard again. Upon hearing his name, Soujirou snapped into attention and sat upright.

"Yes?" He hastily replied, as if trying to cover up for the fact that he had obviously been daydreaming just now.

"You will go with Aoshi to trace the final lead," the old man commanded, much to the surprise of everybody present. "There is bound to be movement today, since it is a festival day and the Yuugure loves hiding behind a wall of people. Until the both of you return with further elaboration, the rest of us will remain here as decoy. Is that clear?" He eyed the audience with a questioning glance. "What's with the look of surprise on everybody's faces?"

"Pardon me, sire," Soujirou blinked once and bowed slightly when responding, "but I thought this was currently strictly an Oniwabanshuu project."

"It is," Okina replied. "That's why I'm calling the shots, you got that?" He removed his pipe from his mouth and cackled, making everybody jump out of their skins. Sticking his pipe back into his mouth he continued, "Going out with discreet numbers when spying has always been a standard rule of shinobi."

"What about Misao-san?" Soujirou asked, still smiling, but obviously confused. "She is Oniwabanshuu."

"If she is not present in the temple, the spies planted here will grow suspicious." Okina wisely deflected. Seeing that Soujirou was about to mention another name, he quickly added, "I want Kenji and Enishi to do something else, and I am too old to keep up with a well-trained criminal spy. You are, quite frankly, the fastest and stealthiest warrior among us all anyway," the seasoned spy stated, and Soujirou found that he could rebut no more. "Don't worry," Okina's face crinkled in a smile. "Aoshi doesn't bite. Not too much."

The entire room blew over with an artic wind while Okina alone laughed heartily at his joke.

"You prefer it this way too, don't you?" Aoshi spoke again, this time directing his glance towards Enishi. "Rather than let the Oniwabanshuu man the whole ship, you would at least want someone on your side help out before you will believe the information to be true anyway, isn't it?"

The two men faced off each other for a tensed moment.

Then Enishi smirked and relaxed. "Guess I don't have to try to deny that. That's right. And you're on."

As electric sparks flew between the duo, Soujirou continued smiling. In time, he asked, "And I suppose /I/ don't have a say in this at all?"

Misao sighed, standing up to start collecting the food trays away. "No, Tenken, absolutely not," was her helpful remark. There was a dull chatter in the room thereafter, when Soujirou turned to talk about something with Kenji and Aoshi and Okina began whispering to each other in lowered tones. Enishi had settled for scrubbing his hair free of grime and well water, and eventually, when Misao finished collecting the dishes, she carried them to the door and was about to slide the shouji open when Omasu did it for her instead.

The older kunoichi bowed to all present in the room. "Okina, the birds have flown out of the cage," she reported monotonously. "A few still remain. What should we do with the rest?"

"Aah," the old man laughed again and waved dismissively. "Don't worry about it. We'll send two catchers after them. Whatever else happens after that will happen," he took another puff of smoke and released the tendrils of white into the air, sighing. "We're not letting them have free rein this time."

Omasu bowed again to indicate her understanding. She then noticed the huge stack of trays Misao had beside her and smiled while saying, "Misao-chan, let me help you with that!"

"That'd be great!" Misao smiled back eagerly. "See you later, Jiiya!"

The two girls disappeared down the corridor, lightly chatting away.

"And now..." Okina slowly rose to his feet, pipe still in hand. He walked over to a bundle of cloth that had laid abandoned in the room from since the start of the meal. "Today's festival parade will march through Kawaramachi to Kiyamachi. As such most of the people there today will be in samurai garb. Just so that you can blend in without too much effort, I've borrowed a couple of haori from the temple store. Here," he turned the clothes over to Aoshi and Soujirou respectively. "Now get out there and get us that information."

Feeling somewhat inspired by the combination of what had happened so far and the anticipation of what was going to yet happen, Soujirou grasped the haori in his hands gently and nodded. "I'll do my best!"

"Just one last thing before you go," Okina said in his happy voice, and both Aoshi and Soujirou paused in front of the door they were about to head out from.

They stared at him expectantly.

"You'll have to..." He pointed. "Go out by the window."

Even Kenji sweatdropped, and Enishi bodyfaulted along with Soujirou. Of course, Aoshi was the only one remaining standing, but he uttered a resounding "......." in response, whilst Okina laughed it off like exiting by the window was the most normal thing to do in the world.

"Excuse me but..." Soujirou eventually spoke up, after recovering from the bodyfault, "... why?"

Okina suddenly grew serious, his previously laughing eyes darkening with a severity they had yet to see before. "Because..." and when he spoke, he was austere but powerful, capturing the attention of the restless crowd before him. "Because..."

"Because?" Enishi, however, had the attention span of a busy bee. He wanted to know, and he wanted to know now!

"Because..." Okina continued to trail, taking a puff from his pipe. He blew the clouds of opium out and nodded gravely to himself.

"Because I said so."

Outside, the crickets cricked.

"Come on, Soujirou," Aoshi had moved to the window and leapt out nimbly, without waiting for a positive response from his assigned partner. Although it took him a couple of seconds, the blue-clad wanderer eventually drifted to the window and carefully climbed out as well.

Once landing softly on the ground outside, he turned around and smiled uneasily. "See you later!" He greeted everybody still in the room, then vanished in a flash, presumably going after Aoshi's lead.

Okina turned to the remaining duo in the room. "And now, for /your/ mission."

Enishi immediately tensed.

"Not if it involves sneaking out of windows, I'm not doing it."

Laughing, the older person took a scrap of paper from within his sleeve and handed it to him. "I didn't say you had to. I need you both to roam around the temple until mid-day. Then you can go find the person in that address."

The white-haired man took one look at the address and nearly choked. He looked suspiciously at Okina while asking, "Why the hell are we going to find this guy for?"

The old person smiled mysteriously.

"He was the one who offered to fix Soujirou's shinai."  
  
  
... to be continued  
--------------  
8/7/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd  
  
a/n  
this fic is swinging back into action! and i'll employ the paragraph way of replying to reviews, since keyboard style is not allowed! XD

before i forget - last chpt i forgot to rec a fic. EK's "Thoughts in the Twilight." i'm still so so so shocked (happily, of course XD) that someone spun off a fic from my fic!!! oOx read it here (remove spaces)!  
fanfiction . net / read . php ? storyid = 1840282

**zeromaru **- ah, good to know that i'm being so appreciated. XD okay, i'll take your advice! review reply stays! mwahahah! **Silver Nightingale** - long time no see! sooo glad you liked the talk. i was worried it was too contrived. see you! :D **misaoshiru **- thank you! i hope this chapter did not disappoint! **Drunken Little Monkey** - yeah, and i missed you too :P **EEevee **- i'm not particular attached, but ff:net is frankly the place with the biggest reader base :O :O :O along with that comes badfics x 3 though. XD **Fyyrrose **- i missed ya too! glomp dang, you're a lazy, but good reader. XD you're the kind of reader every author will kill to have. yes! diss the dead person! hahaha XD i better stop too before i offend anyone. XD **sasori **- i have no idea, but you can count on me 'highly recommending' your stories the next time i review. and yes, it will be a gazillion pages long. evil smirk hamster hamster!! XD **Hitokiri of the Bloodless Moon** - yes yes, at your service! this time it didn't take three months, mwahaha! **Sailor-Earth13** - yes, Kenji needs to think beyond the scope sometimes too XD **kyon **- i hope you liked this chappie too!


	33. 32: On the Trail

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.  
  
WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!  
  
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 32: On the Trail  
  
  
"I remember Kiyamachi was a long stretch of road where much fighting took place from since Kyoto's advent until recent times," Soujirou remarked casually with a small gesture, as he made his way out of the temple via a small beaten track in the forest with Aoshi. "It seems strange that a parade of peace will now be going through it. How the world changes."  
  
"It is also a street famous for some of the better food you can find in Kyoto," Aoshi stated factually.  
  
"I never knew you were a gourmet, Shinomori-san!" The wanderer gasped, more shocked that the tall ninja had spoken than the fact that he had spoken about where to find good food.  
  
"Vegetarian food does get to you after a while," Aoshi replied with a slight scowl of displeasure. "This way," he continued, quickening his pace towards a spot in between two large trees that likely acted as an exit. Aoshi stepped through the threshold first and glanced around, before nodding at Soujirou.  
  
The boyish wanderer nodded back and stepped into the open as well, realising that they now stood at a long stretch of empty street that presided between the forest and the back of a row of establishments from left to right. Soujirou was careful to test to see first if anyone was nearby and had seen their exit. There proved to be none.  
  
"People hardly come here during the day," Aoshi quickly informed, and, as if he had not just stepped out from a secret pathway through the forest, started strutting down the stretch of road without a care in the world. "It would be less suspicious if you did not act so tensed up all the time."  
  
Snapping out of his tensed state, Soujirou laughed nervously and quickly fell into step alongside the tall ninja. "I'm sorry," he offered sheepishly by way of apology, "I'm too used to expecting danger at every turn of the corner."  
  
Aoshi did not say anything in response to that.  
  
"Anyway," the wanderer bubbled, suddenly remembering the haori he still had in his hands. "Since Kashiwazaki-san was so kind as to lend us these clothes, we might as well make good use of it!"  
  
As Soujirou walked and spoke, he spread the haori wide in between his outstretched hands to firstly measure the size of the garment, and secondly to examine the pattern imprint. "It's been so long since I've worn a haori!" He chirped brightly, noticing that Aoshi was not particularly concerned about what the long overcoat looked like and was already slipping it on. Not wanting to appear like a hapless frog in the well, Soujirou quickly donned the garment without much thought, noticing how it smelled of something familiar, although he could not quite put his finger onto the odour at the moment.  
  
As he pondered, they turned around at the corner of the empty street and sidled their way through a dirty side alley before finally coming out onto a busy main lane bustling with festival activity.  
  
There were stalls lining the street and people jostling to get a go at some of the games that were being offered. The hustle and bustle of a throng of happy people could be heard even in amongst the loud noises the festival was making collectively. Soujirou found himself completely taken aback by the mood. A banner above him confirmed that this was Kiyamachi. He had been to festivals before, but ever since his wanderings both him and Enishi had taken great pains to avoid crowds, so it was indeed a long time since he was able to immerse himself in the mood of merry-making.  
  
Aoshi glanced briefly at the younger person, then moved ahead to walk through the streets. Seeing that his companion had taken action, Soujirou quickly scurried after him, determined not to be lost in the crowd. "I'm sorry," he said, when he got within range, "I should pay more attention. But Shinomori-san, how are we supposed to find our target in a crowd as huge as this?"  
  
"We are not going to find him," was the sombre reply, causing Soujirou to blink in confusion. Stopping by a stall that was displaying a variety of wooden replicas of banned weapons, Aoshi clarified, "We are going to let him come to us."  
  
Soujirou lapsed a thoughtful, wondering silence, staring at his quiet partner for answers to questions he did not know how to phrase.  
  
  
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"You know, everytime I come to Kyoto, it'll always be having a big or small festival somewhere around," Kamatari remarked from his seat on the dark, wooden bench that had been laid out on the corner of the one of the quieter part of the festival street. "There's just something about Kyoto and festivals, isn't that right, Captain Saitou?" He smiled coyly at the police in plain clothes, sitting adjacent to him, casting furtive, scrutinising eyes at the busy conglomerate of people trying to get as much fun as they possibly could.  
  
Said eyes narrowed further and turned their attention to the police spy instead. "We're not here on holiday, if that's what you're trying to tell me."  
  
Kamatari felt the smile slipping from his face. "Spoilsport!" He stuck a tongue out at the stoic-faced Saitou, who had returned to staring at the crowds. "I bet you don't even know the meaning of 'fun'! Types like you are best suited for being stern-faced police post officers sitting at the counter and laughing at the faces of anybody who come to report a case-"  
  
"Hold your horses!" A new voice entered the scene, and footsteps on the gravel could be heard getting closer and closer. Saitou gave the newcomer a sidelong glance, whilst Kamatari turned to face him completely. The unmistakable figure of Chou stepped into sight from the mass and he saluted with a grin. "Quarreling over something so early in the morning already?"  
  
Kamatari snorted, even as Chou took a seat on the bench opposite Saitou. "If /you/ had to partner this massive pain in the ass during a festival first thing in the morning, you'd be screaming your lungs off at him too."   
  
The broomhead made as if to reply, but a waiter cut him short, zipping past the crowds and other tables towards their particular one with a loud, "Yakiniku soba and three cups of green tea!" He slammed the dishes and cups down on the table, collected the money already prepared for him there and whisked away to serve other customers.  
  
Whatever Chou had wanted to say earlier melted into a sly, "Soba for breakfast? You've not changed since Tokugawa, Saitou."  
  
The police officer snapped apart a pair of chopsticks and calmly rebutted, "House broom for hair? You've not changed since crawling out from the litter pile, Sawagejou."  
  
Kamatari ended up having to restrain a shrieking Chou for the next few minutes.  
  
When the mood was calmer and tempers weren't flaring as much, some time later, Kamatari sighed and cupped his chin with his hands out of sheer boredom. "So," he directed his glance at Saitou, who had finished his noodles in the time it had taken Chou to be placated, "what /are/ we supposed to be on the lookout anyway? We're not going to be of any help if you don't tell us."  
  
Saitou took this opportunity to glance quickly at the still fuming Chou, who had taken to drumming his fingers on the table in a show of his frustration. He noticed Saitou staring expectantly at him and said unhappily, "Yeah yeah, I went there and told the old man we wanted to talk to the big boss again. The old man said he'd convey the message but did not confirm anything - so even if we continued waiting here all morning, we got no guarantee that that Oniwabanshuu guy is gonna show up." Finishing his report, he turned to gaze purposelessly at the throng of people. "I'd bet my hide that he ain't gonna show up, anyway," the blond shrugged. "He's about as tight-lipped as a scorned spy can get."  
  
"So we're waiting for the block of ice!" Kamatari concluded for Chou and shot Saitou a menacing glare. "Why wasn't I briefed about this before being set up for the mission?"  
  
Saitou eyed the spy strangely. "The same reason why you're not told when I go to the toilet, to bed, to lunch, to dinner, and to my other duties." He relaxed slightly in his seat and held the cup of tea in his hands, taking a few sips. "Look, you don't always have to know what's on the drawboard. A bit of intelligent guessing can get you everywhere sometimes."  
  
"I'm frankly too exasperated with your attitude to argue anymore," the petite warrior pouted and shook his head. "All right, all right, we'll wait for that Oniwabanshuu guy to show up," Kamatari held both hands up in a pose of surrender. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to drink my tea before it gets cold."  
  
"I wasn't aware that I have been stopping you from drinking your tea," Saitou replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
  
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"Here," Aoshi held out a plain looking string of sorts, disrupting Soujirou's perusal of the wooden weapons booth. The latter had noticed the taller man disappear somewhere else just now, but thought the better of asking. Now, however, he was back, and doing something decidedly out of character. Therefore Soujirou shrank backwards slightly and stared at the string like it would explode anytime. "You had better tie your hair up before people start mistaking you for a girl," the ninja solemnly expounded, not a muscle in his face twitching.  
  
"Oh, right," Soujirou quickly agreed when he remembered the state of disarray his hair was currently in, and the kind of misunderstandings it was bound to induce sooner or later. He accepted the band sheepishly and said, "Thank you."  
  
Aoshi said nothing in return, turning to glance at the shadows on the street, then at the position of the sun. "We still have some time," he mentioned, his attention returning to Soujirou and the stall. "Are you looking for something?"  
  
Soujirou broke away from staring at some of the items on display at the question, smiling simply in reply. "Not really. I was just wondering if I needed a temporary hitting stick of sorts for this assignment, since Yukishiro-san said he has donated my previous one to a matchstick seller," the smile continued on, unwavering. "Oji-san, can I try this one out for a while?" He called out to the owner of the stall, who waved and nodded lazily while fanning himself with the towel around his neck. "Thank you!" The polite wanderer then drew from the wicker basket the wooden weapon of his choice - a pair of daishou, complete with the sheaths.  
  
"These are made of standard ply," Aoshi remarked from a side, "they won't make very convincing weapons even if you had the skill."  
  
"Considering the organisation we're up against, I'm thinking that a weapon for show is probably better than none at all," Soujirou quickly responded, while making a few experimental swings on the makeshift swords. "Ah, Shinomori-san, please hold them for a while," he handed the relics to Aoshi and smiled as sweetly as he could. "I need to get my hair out of the way."  
  
Wordlessly, Aoshi took the wooden weapons into his hands and let Soujirou tie his hair up into his usual half-high ponytail. That done, the wanderer was about to collect his wares back from their temporary holder when he saw that Aoshi had started moving into the distance already.  
  
"Shinomori-san?" He stood rooted to the spot, unsure of what conclusions to draw from the other man's actions.  
  
"Let's move on," the stoic man responded. Then, after a pause, added, "I already paid for them."  
  
Soujirou automatically exchanged glances with the shop owner, who nodded knowingly and waved lazily at him. "Oh," he said, feeling stupid all of a sudden. Quietly, he slithered through the crowds in the trail of his companion, and when alongside, said, "Thank you very much, Shinomori-san... but that wasn't really very necessary."  
  
"Who knows how long you would have meandered at that booth in indecision?" Aoshi replied plainly, while handing over the makeshift daishou, causing Soujirou to wince at the accuracy of those words. Even Enishi often poked fun of his wishy-washiness, as the ex-mafia boss had so kindly put it. The wanderer kept his head bowed for lack of a better response and simply followed the lead of the taller person meekly.  
  
They turned from the busy street down into a more controllable alley, packed from lane to lane with fixed stores, inns and restaurants. Although not as crowded, it still emitted a festive feel, so Soujirou kept staring. As he did, however, he noticed that a few building owners who were relaxing outside their inns or restaurants took one look in the duo's direction and turned ghastly white in the face. That was before they quickly stumbled back into the safety of their stores behind them and slid the doors tightly shut as if in wordless protest.  
  
Three times it happened, and countless other times Soujirou found that people stared openly at them with slack jaws, before he finally turned to Aoshi to ask, "Do we smell that bad?"  
  
Evidently also having noticed the weird stares directed at them, Aoshi frowned slightly and shrugged. Further down the path, a few younger looking inn assistants were squealing and pointing at the duo instead of gasping and gawking, and Soujirou decided that he didn't know which event was more frightening.   
  
While quickly glancing around to map an escape route, he spotted several familiar looking figures in the distance. As they got closer and closer to the open-air table at the corner where the figures were seated, Soujirou's smile stretched into a beam. He tugged at the sleeve of Aoshi's haori.  
  
"Shinomori-san, look!" Soujirou happily pointed down the direction of the three figures seated by the table, sipping away at their tea. Aoshi took a glimpse and nodded stiffly in acknowledgement.  
  
"Okina mentioned that we should be looking out for them," the taller person dully stated, folding his hands inside the sleeves of his haori as a sudden gust of warm wind rushed from behind them.  
  
"Are they part of the mission today?" Soujirou asked curiously, as they continued to go near the unsuspecting trio, two of whom were engaged in animated conversation about something, the other simply sipping his tea.  
  
"Not necessarily," Aoshi replied plainly, strolling along. His cryptic answer drew a sidelong glance from his companion, and so he continued, "It will depend on what he has to tell us; as well as what he wants from us."  
  
"Hmmm..." the wanderer made a random noise, trying to read the unreadable expression of the stone-faced Aoshi. He gave up after a while and turned to look at the trio of police and spies instead, noticing that Saitou had shifted his line of sight slightly and was now looking in their general direction. Even so, it did not seem like he had noticed the duo, so Soujirou raised a hand high above his head and waved while exclaiming happily, "Saitou-san ! Over here !"  
  
That certainly caught the beady-eyed policeman's attention, for he lifted his eyes to look at the duo fully, still posed in the middle of sipping some liquid out from his teacup. Soujirou continued waving, just in case Saitou couldn't catch them in the crowd.  
  
Saitou, however, most certainly did.  
  
The ex-Shinsengumi captain's eyes widened - as if he had just seen a ghost.  
  
And the unswallowed tea that was still in his mouth sprayed out in a mighty jet across the table.  
  
Where Chou was sitting.  
  
The world jerked to a spinning halt.  
  
Aoshi and Soujirou were so shocked at the sudden uncharacteristic action from the man they had known to be a lean, mean reasoning machine that they abruptly stopped in their steps, frozen in place with a disbelieving gape until they could be sure that the person sitting there was Saitou and not an imposter in disguise. Kamatari, who had not been at the receiving end of the spat-out tea, shrank back and stared at Saitou with an expression alternating between horror and disgust, while Chou kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut, as drops of clear green liquid slowly dribbled off his chin onto various parts of his clothing.  
  
The Mibu wolf alone was unconcerned. He wiped the tea that had inadvertably stained his chin and coughed, putting the cup back down on the table slowly.  
  
"Excuse me," he announced calmly, without a shake in voice or apology in tone.  
  
"I thought I saw a couple of old friends."  
  
  
... to be continued  
--------------  
10/7/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd  
  
a/n  
guess what kind of haori aoshi and soujirou were wearing to make saitou act so ooc?!?! GASP! all of you are geniuses! how did you find out?!  
  
:3  
  
more shinsengumi mad misalignments next chapter. XD  
  
**misaoshiru **- opium?! oops!! O.Ox as usual, that was a terrible slip up on my part. i'll go back to correct it. **Minsada **- muchos thankies! i'm a fan of long chapters myself. XD **Sailor-Earth13**, yes, the mysterious artist will step in soon. XD hope this chpt was exciting enough! **Zeromaru**, hahaha you got it spot on. :3 we'll see kenji and eni in another chapter or so only, though. XD **sasori **- woo hoo! you be right! i wus kindda thinking of the ring XD aww, eni? jealous? maybe he's happy he got time with the red instead. :P 


	34. 33: Further Down

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.  
  
WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!  
  
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.  
  
  
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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 33: Further Down  
  
  
"Whatever," Kamatari fumed, "possessed the both of you to strut around the streets of Kyoto... down the lane of /Kiyamachi/, no less," he wagged a finger at the duo standing beside the table, "in the haori of the /Shinsengumi/?!"  
  
Soujirou jumped back slightly at the accusation. Both Aoshi and himself had approached the table just two seconds ago, when they felt that Saitou's condition had likely stabilised, but he had not expected Kamatari to be providing the next shock. "Shinsengumi?" The boyish wanderer wondered aloud. He lifted a hand up to examine the sleeve he was garbed in. "I've always read that light yellow was the trademark of the Shinsengumi..."  
  
"It's the /pattern/, boy," Chou snapped unhappily, wiping at his face with a piece of cloth Kamatari had fished out from nowhere. He had been surprisingly suppressed about the whole event, considering he got the brunt of the attack. "Nobody wears a haori with triangle imprints like /that/ anymore, not especially in Kyoto, unless they feel like their lives lack a certain spice called persecution!"  
  
"Really?" Soujirou continued in his wondering voice, not quite grasping the significance. He glanced briefly at Aoshi, "I guess that explains why some of the older folks turned white in the face when they saw us." He surveyed the article of clothing he was in again, slightly pouting, "But just so you know, we didn't do it on purpose. And it's not as if we /look/ like any of the Shinsengumi members, do we?" He finished with a dazzling smile. "Hardly any cause for worry!"  
  
Saitou gagged and looked away.  
  
"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Soujirou continued, when it seemed like no one else was going to speak up. "Festival shopping?"  
  
"Oh, my dearest," Kamatari sighed dramatically, "I only wish. We were waiting for Mr. Personality beside you, actually," the spy pointed daintily at the tall shinobi, who did not respond or react. "Waiting for him for further discussions regarding our favourite Kabuki troupe and everything else under the sun. Boring things like that."  
  
The wanderer could not help but chuckle at his former partner-in-crime's choice of words. "I see!" He eventually said, and, turning to address his current companion, asked, "Then, should I leave you alone for a while? I can come back later-"  
  
"There is no need," Aoshi abruptly cut the younger person off, and although he had probably not meant to be rude, Soujirou could not help but blink in surprise at the tension in his tone. "We have to be somewhere in a while," Aoshi continued, turning to face Saitou. "Just make it short."  
  
"Ho ho," Saitou immediately responded, cynical nature back in full force, previous slip-up all but forgotten. "Straight and to the point as usual. Well," he tapped a finger on the table, "I don't like to beat around the bush myself, so I'll tell you this outright. I want that information by the end of today," he said, with a huge, lewd smile on his face, "otherwise, I'll be following my own leads and doing my own investigations. The higher ups are tired of being held up by a small hiccup like this, and I must say I'm getting impatient too." The eyes of the wolf shone with a warning glint. He shot Aoshi a knowing stare, "I've kept my part of the deal. Now it's your turn for yours."  
  
Although he stiffened, the Oniwabanshuu shinobi did not try to refute the sentence. "I'll hand your men the information by sundown," he stated monotonously. "Until then, don't try anything funny. You have my word."  
  
As though unconvinced, Saitou took a long, scrutinising look at the ninja. Eventually he tilted his head slightly in disinterest and shrugged. "Only until this evening, Shinomori."  
  
"Thank you," Aoshi muttered, and without saying another word began his trek down the streets towards his unrevealed destination. Soujirou let him walk ahead, head still in a whirl at the cryptic conversation just occurred. There were a lot of things both the police and the Oniwabanshuu were keeping from Enishi and himself, and from each other. Although it did not bother him as much as it did his older counterpart, he did find it rather irksome to be caught in the middle of a discussion he had no prior knowledge about. Pasting his smile firmly in place, he bowed gently to the trio at the table and took the first step after his current mission leader.  
  
"Bai bai, Soujirou" Kamatari waved and bade him farewell in a sweet, pseudo-foreigner voice. "Have a /naisu deeto/ with the darling iceberg!"  
  
Soujirou turned around to wave in acknowledgement at the bubbly lady-in-training, all the while wondering what /naisu deeto/ meant. He made a note to ask Kamatari about it when he had the time. Quickly, he took off after Aoshi, who was already being assimilated into the Kyoto festival crowd in his delay.  
  
The three workers of the law saw them off in silence.  
  
When Chou decided that Aoshi and Soujirou were far enough and out of earshot, he turned to Kamatari and shook his head.  
  
"You did /not/ just ask Tenken no Soujirou to have a 'nice date' with Shinomori Aoshi."  
  
Kamatari grinned.  
  
"I did!"  
  
  
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Further up the path, Aoshi and Soujirou entered another busy lane, looking like any other festival observer. Following Aoshi's lead, the duo eventually found themselves winding up outside a drinking establishment that was at a relatively safe distance from the main bulk of the festival crowd. Aoshi then leaned casually against the pasty white wall of the building, a pose of relaxation. Soujirou, after examining the scene around several times in confusion, turned towards the relaxing man and asked, "Are we going to get a drink inside, Shinomori-san?"  
  
Aoshi considered it for a while. "If need be, yes," he quipped. "If you remember what the old man sent us out for, maybe you might like to look around for it as well," he continued smoothly, loudly, and as calmly as a normal festival attendee would have sounded. "I'll be waiting here."  
  
Noting the sublimal tone of caution and warning Aoshi had employed, and not missing the secret import, Soujirou's smile stretched and he nodded. "Of course!" He took this perfectly legal opportunity to take a long, sweeping glance at the booths lining the streets left and right. "I think I see it, Shinomori-san," he held a hand over his forehead and glanced down into a long distance away-,  
  
-just as a frantic looking man dressed in temple servant blue ducked into the drinking establishment, through the door beside the smiling wanderer.  
  
"... but before that," Soujirou turned around and smiled pleadingly at his companion. "I'm really thirsty, Shinomori-san. Can we just drop in for a small cup? Pretty please? We've been walking from since daybreak! You may not be thirsty, but I am!" He held both hands up imploringly.  
  
Several concerned passers-by began murmuring among themselves at the scene, and Aoshi twitched ever so slightly. He slowly turned and melted into the store interior - in the eyes of the onlookers, so that he could avoid the accusatory stares they were giving him.  
  
"Thank you!" Soujirou chirped happily in the direction Aoshi had sauntered off in. He then quickly followed the man's footsteps and entered the store, and the minor crowd outside dispersed into their own ways after what they presumed was an episode happily concluded.  
  
If only they knew.  
  
  
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The drinking establishment was bustling with activity, even though it was only around noon. Joyful voices arose into the air, mingling with the strong smell of intoxicating liquor. It wasn't a pleasant sight to be sure, but it contributed to stirring up a rough but warm and friendly atmosphere.  
  
Aoshi took the first available table he saw - one that was directly adjacent to the one the frantic temple spy was sitting at, waiting for something. Soujirou glanced very briefly at the spy from the corner of his eyes and then turned his smiling face to Aoshi, asking, "What will you have?"  
  
"Tea," Aoshi shrugged. When he saw Soujirou's blink of disbelief, he amended, "... if they have it here. Otherwise, whatever."  
  
The wondering wanderer recovered just as the busy waiter approached the table to ask them gruffly what they wanted. "One serving of tea and one of cold sake please," Soujirou pleasantly turned towards the waiter, and took the chance also to sneak another legal glance on the spy.  
  
The man was a ghastly shade of white, for some reason. His eyes darted around on the ground, here and there, like he was anticipating something to jump out of the shadows at him. Never once did he lift his flighty eyes to observe the people around him, however, and Soujirou thought that was strange. Shouldn't he be more wary of the people instead of the floor?  
  
The waiter had given a grunt of acknowledgement after accepting their order and was now sauntering back to the counter. Soujirou gave Aoshi a look, subtly questioning what should be done next. Just as he did that, the temple spy bolted upright, a strange expression on his face. He stood quickly and almost knocked the bench he was seated on over in the event. He then quickly stumbled down the establishment corridor, in between tables, evidently towards the counter as well.  
  
"... On second thoughts," Aoshi suddenly said, and Soujirou simply smiled while waiting for the words he already knew would come. "... I think I'll have some sake too."  
  
"Now that's more like it," Soujirou grinned, slowly standing up as well. "I'll go change the order, Shinomori-san." Without waiting for an answer, the wanderer whisked away, down the same path the waiter had taken just now.  
  
He slowed down when the counter was in sight, and could see the temple spy saying something to the stiff-looking man behind it. Casually going as close as he could behind the spy without looking too suspicious, he could hear some broken words here and there about 'the best sake you have' and 'deliver', other words getting lost in the hum of the background noise. He frowned when he made a vague connection with someone he knew.  
  
Eventually the spy handed the counter staff a slip of paper, and then turned tail and hastily made his way out of the place. Soujirou quickly told the person what he wanted, then rushed back as inconspicuously as he could to report to Aoshi.  
  
As it was, the tall ninja had already seen the spy pass by and head out. He nodded at Soujirou before the younger person could even speak and instructed, "Follow him."  
  
Without questioning anything, Soujirou nodded. "He passed something to the counter. I think it was an address."  
  
Again, Aoshi nodded. "I'll handle that."  
  
"Okay!" The wanderer chirped while waving happily, not wanting to delay too much in case he should lose track of the spy altogether. "See you later, then! And please save some sake for me!"  
  
Aoshi merely quirked an eyebrow in reply.  
  
  
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Exiting the establishment, Soujirou frowned slightly. He faced the sea of people and was disorientated for a split second. He had not earlier taken note of which way the spy had turned and now cursed his foolishness. Biting his lips, he was about to go a random direction when a nudge on his foot caused him to shoot a brief glance downwards at the thing that was disrupting his concentration.  
  
The thing was silver, grinning, panting and nudging Soujirou's foot for attention.  
  
The fox.  
  
"Why hello there," Soujirou waved slightly at it, not knowing why he did but doing it anyway. "I'm so sorry but I have no food for you today. And I'm in a bit of a rush. Why are you here anyway? Did you get lost?"  
  
At that, the fox stopped nudging his foot like a little kitten, jumping slightly away to shoot Soujirou an offended glare, as if protesting the very idea that it would get lost. Did foxes even know how to get offended? Soujirou wondered to himself.  
  
Nevertheless, the fox was soon on its way, trotting a few steps forward and then looking back to see if Soujirou was following. When the wanderer did nothing but stare in confusion at the animal for a few seconds, the fox ran back and made a random fox noise while looking at Soujirou in the eye. Then it started trotting towards the same direction it was seemingly trying to ask Soujirou to follow it in again.  
  
The wanderer took a few experimental steps towards the animal, wondering if he was doing the right thing, considering he was in the middle of an important mission. Then he shrugged, a small resigned smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. With great haste, he started to chase after the silver fox, who was now agilely leaping in and out of side alleys and over walls and onto roofs.  
  
He had nothing to lose anyway, right?  
  
Eventually, Soujirou saw where the fox was leading him to. Towards a lonely maze of back alleys, where the temple spy he had been asked to give chase to was walking about, lost and dejected. The silver fox scurried towards the back of the man, purposely making great noises and a cloud of flying gravel.  
  
Startled, the spy literally jumped in shock and spun around at break-neck speed. He was breathing hard, and he had a pistol cocked and aimed in his shakey hands.  
  
By that time, Soujirou had emerged into sight after tracking the fox down. Therefore he now found himself face to face against the enemy. He was slightly alarmed to see that he was staring into the barrel of a cocked gun, but quickly squashing his instincts before he could Shukuchi away, he held both hands up in a pose of surrender and exclaimed, "Woah! Stop! Stop! I was just passing by! And I'm not from the Shinsengumi, no matter how the clothes suggest otherwise. I'm really sorry, if I frightened you. I mean no harm, really...-"  
  
"Zoukai!!" The man shrieked in a tongue that was foreign but yet not so foreign at the same time; for someone who had hung out with one certain ex-Shanghai mafia boss for years. "Kuai zoukai!" The distraught man yelled again, when Soujirou showed no signs of budging.  
  
"As much as I would love to do what you're trying to ask me to do," Soujirou gently replied, "I really don't understand what you're saying. Do you... speak the local language?" Soujirou scratched his head, trying to remember the bits and pieces of impromptu foreign language classes Enishi had sometimes deigned to give to him. "Err... jiang... ri... vu? Iesu? Nou? Dontsu nou?"  
  
Upon hearing Soujirou try to communicate nicely, the man stopped shivering as violently as before and lowered the pistol. He stared wide-eyed at Soujirou for a while more, before bowing slightly and saying, this time in a language Soujirou easily understood, "I am sorry. Please excuse m-"  
  
In the midst of rising his head up from the bow, he caught sight of the silver fox, who had been sitting on the floor in front of Soujirou quietly and patiently all this while. Immediately, the man gave a pained cry, like someone had just shot him in the gut and he tumbled backwards clumsily. Soujirou gaped with morbid fascination, wondering what could possibly be the problem with this man.  
  
He didn't have to wait for long to find out, for the man suddenly crouched into a grovel and blurted, "Duibuqi! Duibuqi! Bushi wo de cuo! Buguan wo de shi!" He was visibly quaking with fear and trepidation when he mouthed the muffled words to the ground.  
  
Although Soujirou could only understand a couple of words out of the few the man was saying, he knew that this spy was frantic and at a loss about something, such that he would be reduced to what Soujirou was /sure/ counted as 'begging for his life'. The wanderer took an experimental step forward, crouched down as well and waved slightly at the man, "Um... excuse me? Please don't be so flustered. What happened?"  
  
At that, the man quickly looked up, a response seemingly ready on his lips. His eyes widened, however, when he looked past Soujirou's shoulder, and he quickly scrambled away to what he likely thought was a safe distance. From there he threw Soujirou an frightened look. "Please! I'm sorry!" He spoke up, using language that was easily understood again. "I didn't mean to do it! You must help me tell the god of the temple! It was not my idea to use Sacred Fushimi! Please, you must- AA!!" The sentence ended in a shriek, and the man struggling to his feet. Very shakily, but very hastily, he took off in the opposite direction, a stream of horrified shrieks following his departure.  
  
Soujirou found himself staring at the spot the man had run off in, even after a substantial period of time had lapsed after the last traces of said man could be seen.  
  
The fox approached the wanderer carefully from behind, sniffing at his toes.  
  
"That was..." Soujirou mumbled as he rose to full height, "... strange."  
  
Beside him, the fox yipped in agreement.  
  
"He seems afraid of you for some reason," Soujirou made a face at the fox, who wagged its tail and yipped again. "Aah I guess he didn't notice who I really am. Hopefully this doesn't get reported to anybody higher up in the organisation. We could be in for a lot of trouble that way."  
  
Again, the fox yipped.  
  
Smiling, Soujirou risked a pat on the fox's head. "You're pretty friendly for a fox. Well, thank you for helping out. I don't think I need to follow him all the way back to his headquarters, now that he's more or less given the information away..." He trailed off, noticing the shadows beneath his feet. The sun was hanging directly overhead and the shadows it cast were short and stubborn things. His mind drifted back to the earlier meeting with Saitou, the deadline of 'information on sundown' sticking at the back of his mind for some strange reason.  
  
Finally, he stood, looked down the direction where the spy had last gone in, and smiled, "The day is still young and the information is still incomplete! This calls for a thorough criminal track trace, anyway I see it!"  
  
The fox immediately stood up and yipped excitedly, causing Soujirou to give it a sidelong glance.  
  
"All right, let's get the facts right first before we return! Yukishiro-san'll probably ram me against a tree or something if I lose to Shinomori-san!"  
  
"Yip yip!"  
  
  
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In another part of Kyoto, a certain white-haired man took one step further into the rustic, abandoned mountain path and rammed directly into a tree.  
  
  
... to be continued  
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13/7/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd  
  
a/n  
kiyamachi doori was a street frequently patrolled by the shinsengumi. at first i thought of using kawaramachi sanjou (where the ikedaya resides), but even /i/ thought that was a bit of overkill. XD XD XD anyway, hope you all enjoyed the shinsengumi reference. i've been dying to write it since chpt 12. and it's all your fault, silver nightingale. :P  
  
**firuze **- ah yes, we all need to throw saitou off balance once in a while. :3 i hope you get well soon! **misaoshiru **- i hope you enjoyed this one too! :D **EK **- don't worry about it. :3 just knowing that you're still reading is good enough for me. **zeromaru **- but he does have friends! XD he just have a strange concept of them... bling bling! X3 **EEevee **- mwahahahah! XD i'd bet you got your two guesses right. :D hope real life gets better! [is instantly squashed and mauled into bloody pulp by **Fyyrrose**] AWWKJCUK i didn't mean it i didn't mean it i didn't mean it-[DIES]... will check out E's fics soon! :D **silver nightingale** - mwahahah! motor fingers back in action! **Sailor-Earth13** - [giggle] i'm soo glad you liked the little mystery. your review inspired this chapter. really. [wink] **sasori **- ooohohoho!! yesh! hijikata and okita! yaaay!! XD **April-san**!!! [glomp tackle hug] i missed you i'm glad you liked them comic relief chapters. :3 i wrote a lot of the ao/sou stuff with you in mind. XD enjoy 


	35. 34: Familiar Faces

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.  
  
WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!  
  
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 34: Familiar Faces  
  
  
Kenji sat on a rock by a creek, listening to the crickets.  
  
It had been nearly two hours since Enishi had run into that tree, and he had nearly died laughing - literally, thanks to a close shave by an annoyed Enishi's rather large sword. They, or specifically, Enishi had then pushed on with the journey like they were engaged in a death march. It was not until Kenji threatened to smash all the sake bottles he was carrying against the trees that Enishi finally agreed reluctantly to rest by the nearby creek.  
  
Somewhere up front, the white-haired man finished his last drink, splashed some cool water on his face, and stood up. "Are you done yet?" He uttered abruptly, while turning to look at the boy. Kenji glared at him in response.  
  
"I've barely sat for five minutes!"  
  
Enishi frowned right back. "You've sat for at least fifteen! We're never going to reach our destination at this rate."  
  
"You can say what you want!" Kenji protested in a loud, unhappy voice, kicking some water in Enishi's general direction. "/You're/ not the one carrying all these bottles of wine around!"  
  
The older person harrumphed and shook his head. "I can't concentrate on leading the way if I have to try not to break those fragile things every other step." He turned and walked towards the beaten path. "I'm leaving you behind if you're not moving."  
  
Sighing loudly, Kenji quickly shouldered the pack which contained the heavy bottles of rice wine and trudged after Enishi in dissatisfaction. He did understand that he was purposely delaying the trip - but he was justified!! Which grown man let a young boy lug so many bottles of wine; which he was yet old enough to drink, by the way - around by himself?!  
  
"Why are we doing this again?" He eventually grumbled when he caught up with his companion. The pack the bottles were in kept slipping from Kenji's shoulders, and he had to readjust them every two steps. It wasn't that they were /really/ heavy, Misao had made him carry heavier things before. It was just plain uncomfortable. And the blazing sun wasn't making it any easier.  
  
"Because the old man said so," in reply, Enishi mimicked the monotonous drone of Okina and shrugged. "We're supposed to be looking for some old hermit hiding away in the mountains so we can get Soujirou's weapon back. Nothing fantastic, so don't hold your breath."  
  
Kenji tried to observe the taller person's expressions. "Is it really as simple as that?" He asked quietly, stepping on and then kicking a random stone away. The forest crickets seemed more active at high noon, and their chirping was really starting to get on his nerves. "I smell a hidden agenda... as always. I just wish I can figure out what it is..."  
  
"Enthusiasm can kill you, boy," Enishi warned from somewhere behind, causing Kenji to stop. "It sure as anything killed your father."  
  
Kenji growled and rolled his eyes to indicate to Enishi what he thought of that sentence. "We've been walking since lunch," the boy complained. "Just how deep in the forest is this hermit guy anyway?"  
  
"Shh," the urgent voice of Enishi alerted Kenji to the fact that there was noise further up the hidden mountain trail. The same trail they were trying to trek through. The white-haired man gave a signal, and immediately Kenji dived behind a nearby bush. Enishi blended into the background behind a large tree beside the redhead, and they were just in time to avoid being sighted by a small group of people making their way down the path.  
  
Kenji squinted through the leaves of the bushes. He saw that this was an entourage of four people, and they were dressed in strange, foreign clothing. It took a while, but he eventually recognised the clothing as Chinese. He could not help but to turn around to sneak a brief glance at Enishi.  
  
And when he did, he could not help but notice the look of surprise and recognition written all over the face of the ex-mafia boss.  
  
Intrigued and slightly suspicious, Kenji returned his attention to the four persons walking on the trail. There were two decked in similar garb, flanking the other two - evidently acting as their bodyguards. They were not only intimidating in form and statute, but their eyes reflected years of seasoned training and immersion in life-threatening battles. Kenji could tell that it would take a lot more than just pure strength to bring them down, if need be. Unsure about why he was even considering these things, his eyes flitted over to Enishi again.  
  
He was surprised to find that Enishi was no longer at the spot where he had been hiding in. As he debated whether he would try to locate his companion, the entourage came to a halt right in front of the bush he was behind. He jumped slightly, heart in his mouth. Beads of sweat trickled down both sides of his face. He could feel his fingers turning cold with anxiety.  
  
"Zeme le?" A rich, smooth voice drawled out what was evidently a question, in a language Kenji understood nothing of.  
  
He could understand, however, the language of danger that was bespoken in the air.  
  
One of the bodyguards slowly turned to look at the bush. Kenji found himself striving hard not to gulp at the sheer amount of intensity the large man was giving him; through the bush. His eyes darted around again. Where was Enishi when you need him?  
  
"It is all right," the man with the rich voice spoke again, this time using local tongue smoothly and fluently. Kenji jumped again. He felt himself crouch lower out of pure instincts. Peering through the leaves, he could see that the man who had spoken was a well-dressed, long-haired young adult, with a pleasant but plastic smile on his face. His eyes were bound by a strip of loose, white silk - evidently he could not see - and his aura was easy but wary.  
  
"It is just a weak little rat. There is nothing to be afraid about."  
  
That said and done, he continued on his way. His bodyguards grunted something and followed along, and the lady who was by the young man's side turned to stare impassively at the bush. She soon turned back and followed her apparent leader down the trail.  
  
Kenji remained rooted in position. The previous aura of cutting danger had forced his muscles to freeze for fears of being found out. Of course, now that he thought about it, that was a moot point altogether. His aura had been so evident to the group he wondered why he had bothered hiding in the first place.  
  
Not to forget, they had just called him 'a weak little rat.'  
  
The boy was not new to insults - Yahiko dished them out on a regular basis, and sometimes he thought he was near immune to them already. There was just something different, however, at being belittled as a being not worthy of consideration. His mind began to shift backwards. He remembered all the things different people - Yahiko, jealous fellow doujou students, sometimes his mother and Megumi - especially Misao...  
  
... no one had ever called him weak before.  
  
These past few days, he had been finding out a lot about his life and skills - or rather, lack thereof, than he ever would have wanted to.  
  
He was not sure how long he stayed in his position behind the bushes, for by the time he could hear Enishi calling for him, the taller person had a look of incredible displeasure in his face and was just two steps away from tearing him out from his hiding place. "Kenji, you little runt! How long are you going to laze in that bush until?! Hello?"  
  
The boy blinked at first, then slowly recovered from his daze. He stood, dusting his hakama in deliberate brushes. Shaking himself free from any other random thoughts, he quipped, "Where the hell did you disappear to? And why did we have to hide from them anyway?"  
  
Enishi's eyes grew slightly wide at the questions, and he had a retort ready on his lips. As if suddenly remembering something, though he cast his eyes away quickly. "Bad habit," he stated monotonously. "In the streets of Shanghai, you had to hide from everybody - especially in lonely alleys and trails..." There was a pause, and Kenji could see that Enishi was holding something back. "Anyway, hurry up," the white-haired man had turned and continued down the path. "I want to get there as soon as possible."  
  
Kenji could only frown at the disappearing figure of Enishi. He then turned around to stare at the path the four foreign strangers had just taken, thoughts and questions of all sorts bombarding his inner mind.  
  
Of which, foremost was the sure fact, that Enishi knew those men. Somehow.  
  
Not that he was revealing anything to the boy.  
  
Quietly, Kenji followed the older person along the path, all the while shooting him questioning, and sometimes suspicious looks from the corner of his eyes. "You knew those men," he blurted out, after the silence had dragged too long for him to be comfortable, "didn't you? That's why you hid from them?"  
  
"I don't know what gave you that idea," Enishi replied dully, much to Kenji's surprise. The boy had not expected the man to reply at all, much less immediately. "Mind your own business, at any rate. You get to stay longer alive."  
  
After a pause, Kenji growled. "Grr," he bared his teeth at his companion, "Now I really understand what that police spy meant when he said you were a giant pot of cactus waiting to prick anybody and everybody. And now I /really/ want to know how Soujirou managed to put up with you for such a long time."  
  
"He's too dense and too soft-hearted," Enishi answered again, no hint of annoyance in his tone nevertheless. They had veered off the visible track and were now making their way slowly through thick undergrowth. "You can rest assured, though, that we didn't, and are not, going to stay together /all/ the time. When things happen, they happen, you got that, kid?" Enishi paused in front of a large tree, beyond which of laid a few separate routes they could take. He mulled over which one to advance in.  
  
Kenji, unable to figure out what Enishi could possibly mean, shrugged and leaned against a nearby tree. He concentrated on trying to get the heat out of his mind. Forest trekking, he now understood, during summer was a bad, bad idea.  
  
"Those men we saw must have come from where we are about to go to now," it was rare to hear Enishi offer information willingly, so Kenji perked up with a start. The man continued, "It's a deserted area around here. They couldn't have been here for a picnic," the boy thought he saw Enishi narrow his eyes slightly while pausing, "so we'll just have to keep a lookout on the most disturbed trail in the forest."  
  
"... You mean you didn't know how to go to wherever we're going in the first place?!" Kenji exclaimed.  
  
"That big lunk of meat moves around more often than we travel," Enishi grumbled, eventually picking the path directly to his right. "Every time we come we need to send out new intelligence to snoop out where he stays. And it doesn't help that Soujirou insists on visiting him as long as we're near this place." He randomly whacked an overhanging tree branch away with the sheath of his sword and trudged along unhappily.  
  
"Then what was that earlier about not being able to concentrate on the road because of fragile wine bottles and whatnots?!" The boy screeched again, coming to a dead halt.  
  
Enishi blinked at the boy in confusion. "What? When did I ever say that?" Then his memories struck him and he corrected, "Oh, wait, right. /That/ sentence? I believe the people nowadays call it..." he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "... a big, fat excuse to manipulate others do things for them." Without waiting to see Kenji's response, he turned and continued on trekking.  
  
It took all of Kenji's self control not to run over and smash Enishi's head in with sake bottles.  
  
"I know what you're thinking, boy," Enishi's voice came from the distance. "So don't even think about it. You'll not only miss, but you'll make the old hermit very very angry."  
  
Kenji growled again, just for the sake of growling. He concentrated on keeping a safe distance apart from Enishi, just in case his hands automatically did things on his own. "Just who is this old hermit anyway?" He asked, trying to divert his exasperation into a distraction. "All of you seem to know him pretty well."  
  
They walked out of the foresty area into a clearing of sorts, where a small hut could be seen in the distance. Beside the hut was a large blasting furnace, which Kenji would swear was at least as tall as the house was. He could not dream of what anyone would need such a huge furnace for.   
  
Before his thoughts could proceed, Enishi scoffed and replied his earlier question, "Unfortunately yes, we do know him pretty well. Though I really wish I never had. I swear, people don't know what a proud, egotistic bastard really means until they-"  
  
Abruptly, Enishi stopped walking and stopped talking. Taking his cue, Kenji stopped as well, glancing up at the taller person with question in his eyes. As his eyes swept casually through the terrain, however, he was taken aback to see that they were standing in the shade of a large shadow - and that the large shadow was not caused by the trees behind them. He could hear himself gulp.  
  
"Until they?" The voice of the tall shadow spoke, amused and serious at the same time, in an attempt to get Enishi to complete his interrupted sentence. Enishi followed the source of that sound and frowned as he glanced over his shoulders to the looming man behind him.  
  
"... until they meet you," he finished.  
  
Over the horizon, the sun dipped and disappeared into the mountains.  
  
  
... to be continued  
--------------  
22/7/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd  
  
a/n  
it took 35 chapters to finally introduce the real bad guys behind the evil organisation in the story. am i longwinded or am i longwinded!! XD XD XD please nominate and vote for your favourite rk fics in the rkrc awards here: tfme . net / rkrc  
  
**Koukeisha**  
thanks so much for your compliments!! it's a great honour to be compared to canon! looking forward to your fic! ;D yes, pens are pointy and sharp and can get you a pay cut. XD i consider myself a minor writer, koukeisha. the popular writers are those who write smutty romance :P  
  
**Zeromaru**  
mwahahahah nah. no strange things like that in this story. more about the fox for sure later! :D  
  
**nodaaaaaa**  
watsuki-sensei mentioned that he based soujirou on okita souji and aoshi on hijikata toshizou (vice captain of entire shinsengumi). :D  
  
**PraiseDivineMercy**  
mwahahaha!! yes, no don't worry, it was entirely okina's idea. :D  
  
**Silver Nightingale**  
yes it's all your fault and you know it!! XD i would never have written that scene in if you never mentioned it!! XD  
  
**Sailor-Earth13**  
ah yes. it's in kamatari's nature to be naughty like that. XD  
  
**misaoshiru**  
thank you! hope this long long long fic hasn't killed you yet... how long? ehehe... it's probably going to hit 50 chapters and beyond. sorry!! O.Ox i'm a very longwinded person.  
  
**sasori**  
WOOHOO!! XD probably you're the only one who did understand. XD  
  
**Fyyrrose**  
only 10 people?! wow, you mus be a genius!! O.Ox i hope you're back on good terms with your mother! my father is a bit like that too so i really understand the feeling of being trapped :O and ehehe, yes, i suppose the entire oniwanbashuu has a strange sense of humour - they inherited it from okina! XD see you if i see you!  
  
**EEevee**  
not at all! i'm rather interested in PMK, although i've only read the manga and seen nothing much else. i should start reading fanfics for it... should i??! XD and aoshi is just plain weird. creepy, in a way. XD  
  
**April-san**  
[tackles back] and i'm a fan of yours right back O.Ox although i admit, aoshi / sou interaction is verily hard to write... 


	36. 35: Unforgotten Past

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.  
  
WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!  
  
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 35: Unforgotten Past  
  
  
"Ara?" Soujirou meeped, upon re-entering the meeting room he had left from that morning. "Where is Yukishiro-san and Himura-san?"  
  
Okina immediately looked up from smoking his pipe with closed eyes. He was rather comfortable seated on his zabuton on the floor. It seems like he had not moved from his original position from the morning at all. Aoshi stepped away from staring out of the window, evidently having returned for quite a while already. They both glanced briefly at Soujirou, then at the door behind him.  
  
The youngest member of the current group quickly and quietly closed the shouji door at the cue, noticing with slight anxiety that the aura in the air was none too comforting.  
  
"They've gone to fetch your weapon," Okina responded plainly to Soujirou's earlier enquiry, when he likely felt sure there would be no one to overhear.  
  
"My weapon?" The wanderer was instantly baffled. Then the light slowly dawned and he frowned. "From who?"  
  
"From the same person you're going to go to now," Aoshi stepped forward and handed the younger person a piece of folded paper. "I got that from the shop. They are delivery address directions to the man who has legal trade links with the Yuugure." When Soujirou took the paper, Aoshi retracted his arms and folded them into his sleeves. "This is the man we've been trying to pinpoint for months." There was a brief bout of silence, as Soujirou read the address directions with clouded features. "Now do you see why we held this back from the police?"  
  
The silence dragged.  
  
"Since the both of you are the police's contacts," Aoshi continued, voice revealing nothing, "the Oniwabanshuu's duty is hereby done, now that the information is in your hands. You are free to do whatever you wish with it," his voice tapered off into a stern mumble. "But I would advise you to at least pay the man a visit first. Many things in this world are not what it seems to be on first glance." He paused. "Of course, I'm sure you already knew that."  
  
Soujirou had hidden the paper in his sleeve by the time Aoshi was done. There was worry on his face, which was reflected in his voice, as he asked simply, "What about Saitou-san?"  
  
There was a shrug. "I will inform him of the going-ons when I see him again this evening," was the equally simple answer from Aoshi. Soujirou could only blink in surprise at the tall ninja's silent offer to be answerable to the difficult police supervisor. Slowly, his surprise dissolved into a warm smile of genuine gratitude. He nodded with a slight bow.  
  
"Thank you very much for your kind understanding," there was only sincerity in the words. "I have news too," Soujirou sobered up slightly, although his smile stayed. "I tracked the spy to the outskirts of Kyoto, but he disappeared into the throng of people at the 19th national train station. I don't think he was trying to get on a train though..." The wanderer paused. "... he mentioned 'Sacred Fushimi,' although I can only guess what he meant..."  
  
"Guessing games lead to dead-ends, Soujirou," Aoshi remarked callously. "We don't act on incomplete or insufficient data. There will be answers waiting for you and for us once you get to the person in the address," he nodded generally at the door. "Answers, which you probably need more than we do. I hope you don't take too long, though. It is rather apparent that Saitou has his own plan of action lined up."  
  
"I understand," Soujirou rose fluidly from the ground. "I will work things out from here. Thank you very much." With a soft smile and a quick bow, he departed as quietly as he came.  
  
  
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There was an air, Kenji noticed, of evident dissent in the little house.  
  
The huge man had bundled them in after noticing that they brought sake. But the sake was forgotten as soon as Kenji placed them on the ground. The trio now sat on the floor around a pit where the sunken clay teapot rested, bubbling with a strange smell, silent with thoughts. There was something weighing heavily on the minds of the two older persons that preceded all other matters. Kenji found that he could only wait with abated breaths for what any one of them would say next.  
  
Which, fortunately, did not prove to be too long a wait.  
  
"So?" The larger man spoke first, leaning backwards resplendently. "You didn't come here just to send me a few bottles of quality sake, did you?" He pointed bluntly at the sack of wine bottles, which had been abandoned in a heap by the corner of the room. "Cut to the chase and tell me what you want now. If you have nothing to say then leave the sake behind and get lost. I'm busy enough as it is."  
  
"Busy?" Enishi raised an eyebrow smoothly. He gave a long lingering thought to what he would say next, and settled for, "I think you should know why we're here for. In case your rusty memory has failed you, we're here for Soujirou's shinai, which the old man in the Oniwabanshuu said you offered to fix. The sake is compensation, or so the old man said." He narrowed his eyes at the person seated opposite him. "So you mean to say, that you were so busy, you actually had time to offer to fix Soujirou's shinai?" A pause. "Or did you finally find a job that could keep your genius complex sated enough to be able to give the excuse to visitors that you're busy?"  
  
"Genius has nothing to do with it this time, greenhorn," the long-haired man scoffed, taking a swig from the sake bottle in his hand while he was at it. He finished his gulp and sighed. "And I'm sure Soujirou can come collect his toy by himself. He doesn't need you to babysit him. Where is the boy anyway? Did he finally have enough of your insensitive attitude and decide that there was a life outside wandering after all?"  
  
From the corner of his eye, Kenji could see Enishi twitch bodily.  
  
"All right, we're obviously going nowhere beating around the bush like that. Since we're both busy and impatient people, I /will/ cut to the chase," Enishi barked, slamming a palm onto the wooden floor. "Kakunoshin Niitsu- or should I say, Hiko Seijuurou. Have you been doing business with the Yuugure organisation? Answer me honestly!"  
  
There was instant silence. The two adults descended into a long staring match.  
  
Leaving Kenji to his own thoughts.  
  
Hiko Seijuurou, the boy was thinking. Now why did that name sound so familiar?  
  
"I don't see the need to answer that question, honestly or not," it was Hiko who broke the silence with a snort. He took another drink from his bottle. "It's none of your business who I sell my stuff to."  
  
The white-haired man flared up, and his fist found the floor again. "It /IS/ when you're helping a secret society going up against the law!!"  
  
Even Kenji was taken aback at the sudden accusation and temper flare - and he was one who would freely admit that he didn't know Enishi /that/ well. It was Hiko, though, who eventually voiced the unsaid question.  
  
"Since when did you worry about going against the law?"  
  
There was a stunned silence.  
  
Noiselessly, the larger man rose to full height. He took his mantle from beside him and threw it on. "You only work for yourself, Enishi," he reminded the younger man sombrely. "You don't get angry if it doesn't concern you or the people around you. I think you know that better than I do. I would say, though," he continued smoothly, walking towards the exit of the house, "that my latest clients have indeed given me an interesting bit of information regarding their 'sentimental link' to this land. And you have most certainly confirmed it," he flicked the cloth on the door away calmly, not turning back to observe Enishi's reaction. "Young boy," he addressed Kenji suddenly, surprising him. "Come with me."  
  
Without another word, Hiko whisked away from the house.  
  
"O... okay," the redhead stumbled uneasily to his feet, shooting one final glimpse at the silenced Enishi before quickly trotting out of the house, happy to leave behind the strange tension lingering away in the little hut.  
  
He sudden realised just how very little he knew about the people he trusted his life with.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
  
At length, Kenji found the man at a steep outcrop overlooking the creek beneath. In the background, a thundering waterfall draped over the mountain top like a lush, aqua curtain, constantly flowing into the deep pool of blue beneath.  
  
Hiko stood near the cliff edge, staring at the approaching boy. Kenji slowed down and stared back, wondering what he could possibly want. Eventually, the older person's lips tugged upwards wryly. He turned and sat on a large rock, facing the confused boy. "What's your name?" He asked.  
  
"... Himura Kenji..." Kenji replied, nonplussed.  
  
"And how old are you?"  
  
"Fourteen... ?"  
  
A laugh. "Exactly the same."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Hiko ignored Kenji's look of absolute bewilderment. "Why are you hanging out with a dangerous criminal like Enishi anyway?"  
  
The boy glanced away. "I ran away from home."  
  
The older man's wry smile stretched. Before he could ask the next question, however, Kenji spoke up.  
  
"Ojisan," the boy's tone was hesitant and almost shy. "Since you say that Enishi is a criminal, why is it that you appear to know him rather well?"  
  
The long-haired master was silent for a while. Then he offered, "He is dangerous, but also quite harmless when unprovoked. And let's just say I wasn't the one who started the acquaintance." A pause. "Kenji," the voice was firm yet inviting, "what school of swordstyle are you trained under?"  
  
The boy stiffened. They appeared to be getting nearer and nearer to the point, whatever it was. "I trained under the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu." He muttered, cautiously.  
  
"And you know nothing else?"  
  
"The Kamiya Style is all I know..." Kenji lied, frowning at the man's perception.  
  
"Nobody likes lying children, Kenji," Hiko said, still smirking.  
  
The boy jumped slightly and protested, "I'm not-"  
  
"You are as easy to read as your father was."  
  
The next few seconds of shock could be heard despite the echoes of the loud waterfall.  
  
"I've heard, a long time ago, from your mother, about your talent in executing moves from mere descriptions and words," Hiko continued, nonchalant to the wide-eyed look of terror on Kenji's face. "It seems like you exhibit a flair my baka deshi took years to cultivate, and I must admit, as the Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, that I am interested in seeing if what your mother has said was true."  
  
Kenji could really hear himself gulp this time. Hiko was slowly standing from the rock he had been seated on, making his intention to duel fairly obvious by pulling his longsword out from where he usually tucked it at the back of his belt.  
  
So /this/ was the legendary Master of the Mitsurugi Style - the one Yahiko spent hours every week praising. No wonder Kenji found the name familiar. More importantly, though, something else struck at at him from his memories - more prominently than the others.  
  
His father had been an abandoned peasant boy - and this was the man who had brought that boy up.  
  
Kenji was suddenly very bothered about Hiko's opinion of himself.  
  
"Come on, little brat," Hiko cheered, still with the smirk on his face. "You don't look like someone who could resist a good challenge."  
  
Fingering his unfortunate weapon of a metal rod tightly, Kenji could feel every single muscle in him tensing at the taunt. Without so much as a word or warcry, he disappeared from his position and flashed forward in an attacking pose against the elder and more senior - despite the warning signals in his head.  
  
The roar of the thundering wall of falling water slowly engulfed the area.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
  
The sun was halfway to setting when Soujirou arrived at the clearing, warily glancing about himself for any signs of danger before stepping into view of the house.  
  
As the area was new, he quickly mapped the area for escape routes. Although Hiko was unlikely to attack him, or anyone else for that matter - one could never be too sure what other abominations lurked behind the thick foliage. The air was clear, and the place gave off an amiable enough aura, after a brief check. Straightening himself, Soujirou approached the quaint looking house sitting near the edge of the other side of the clearing.  
  
He didn't bother to knock, considering there was no solid, unmoving door in the first place. He had long figured out that Hiko only used cloth for doors because nobody, really, could ever dream of scratching the man in his sleep - door for protection or not. So with a casual flick of the cloth, Soujirou entered directly into the darkness within.  
  
Only to immediately find his head nearly pinned to the wall behind, against the wrong side of Enishi's watou.  
  
Soujirou's surprise was reflected in Enishi's eyes as well. The white-haired man was breathing heavily and wore a hassled look of primal fright and something akin to fear on his face - like a panicked animal caught in a trap. His eyes widened and he quickly pulled away when he saw who it was. Frowning deeply and holding a hand over his mouth, Enishi turned around violently and refused to give an explanation for his out-of-character act. Even Soujirou hadn't quite gotten out of the shock yet to ask.  
  
They stood, washed over with a long, mutual silence in the shadows of the house.  
  
Although Soujirou was smiling lightly, he could feel his heart slowly turning cold with dread.  
  
When was the last time he saw that look on Enishi's face?  
  
And more importantly.  
  
What was the last thing anybody saw when someone decided to test his destiny by provoking the already harried gangster - at that point of time?  
  
It was a very delicate situation. Though with Enishi, one hardly knew how to be delicate.  
  
"Who did you come across this time, Yukishiro-san?"  
  
The white-haired man tensed. He gave a low growl and turned around, stalking towards Soujirou menacingly. The younger warrior could hardly say he was surprised when Enishi slammed a fist into the wall beside his head, but he did jump slightly when the man leaned in predatorily towards his shoulder. "None of your business, Soujirou," Enishi whispered harshly into the younger person's ear. He then whisked past the stunned swordsman and exited the house out into the open.  
  
Soujirou released the breath he had been holding when he could no longer feel Enishi under the same roof. He waited, then turned hesitantly to find himself casting long, lingering glances at the retreating figure of his long time companion. Enishi had stalked somewhere towards the direction of the workshop, weapon primed and muscles tensed, ready to strike and defend at any time. The taller man did not so much as glance back in apology or regret.  
  
Soujirou thought that Enishi's trailing shadow seemed so much more longer than usual, that particular twilight.  
  
  
... to be continued  
--------------  
29/7/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd  
  
a/n  
the 19th national train station doesn't exist anymore - but it was the station right in front of the inari shrine in toba fushimi during meiji. now it's an exhibition hall called little house of lamps displaying olden artifacts like lamps and such.  
  
**Hitokiri of the Bloodless Moon**  
thank you! i'm proud that i managed to mix many genres! XD  
  
**Veleda**  
yes, patience is rewarded. XD more of hiko next chapter.  
  
**Koukeisha**  
i'm still waiting for your story! XD and i guess people like different things, so i can only say 'oh well!' to the romance-only readers out there!  
  
**misaoshiru**  
aaa!! i have found a longwinded buddy! i will most certainly read your fic after i get back from my vacation. thank you for telling me!  
**  
Sailor-Earth13**  
50 chapters is a rough estimate. with my longwindedness i'm guessing it'll shoot beyond that. XD  
  
**firuze**  
thank you!! i was surprised i got nominated x;; oh! yes, i have a lot to explain. XD are you still on msn? i can tell you stuff from there after i get back from my vacation. XD i missed you firuze! hugs  
  
**zeromaru**  
awww! don't forget this fic is drama first and foremost, THEN action/adventure! XD that means lots and lots of talking! some action next chapter though! watch out for it!  
  
**kajeth**  
mwahahah! let's pretend that they don't, then. XD  
  
**EEevee**  
i really wanted to write kenji as this super talented swordsboy who can beat the crap out of everybody in his path but things didn't turn out. XD  
  
**sasori**  
POST. BETTER. THAN. YOURS. NOWWWWWWWWWWW!!! XD  
**  
De Lazy Lime**  
your review really refreshed me! thank you for spending time on this fic. yes! another longwinded buddy!! MWAHAHA!  
  
**Fyyrrose**  
awww don't be so angry. anger leads to wrinkles, see. runs i'm a normal, average person so feel genius beside me!!! although beside hiko we'd all look small. T.Tx i saw pmk the first few eps, but i've always been reading the manga so i didn't quite follow the anime. alas, we all know what the fate of okita souji is, no matter how it is portrayed. T.Tx see you next chapter! :D  
  
**A. Krisis**  
i love hearing from new, intelligent readers like you! it is really a great honour to know that my little story can achieve things that affect people personally! i hope you stick on! :D onwards!! mwahaha!!   



	37. 36: The Deal

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.  
  
WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!  
  
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 36: The Deal  
  
  
Enishi was the kind of person who enjoyed brooding.  
  
"Yukishiro-san..."  
  
Alone, that is.  
  
"..."  
  
After all, it was only when he brooded alone did he come up with the most fantastic ideas that led him to the most fantastic conclusions, right? He had to brood more than ten years for his Jinchuu on Kenshin, after all. Another ten more minutes of self brooding would do no one any harm.  
  
"Hello, Yukishiro-san, are you listening to me?"  
  
Of course, then again, there were some people in this world who were obvious masochists.  
  
"..."  
  
But Enishi would not give in to violence! He would not turn around, throttle Soujirou until he turned blue from lack of air, tie him to a tree and use him as watou target practice. No, he would not do that. Soujirou was not doing any drastic shouting or whining. He was just being the mild-tempered pain in the neck he always was.  
  
"Yukishiro-san!!"  
  
A twig snapped.  
  
"What the hell do you want?! Just shut up and leave me alone!" Enishi stopped walking, turning around to snarl at the trailing Soujirou, his capacity for patience flooded out. The younger wanderer stopped as well.  
  
"We both know what happened the last time I 'left you alone'," Soujirou chirped, beaming as brightly as the sun. Enishi's face twisted in annoyance and he turned away, although he remained immobile. Soujirou's tone turned soft, however, when he next muttered, "I want to do something for you, even if you don't want me to. Can I at least just walk alongside? I won't ask you unnecessary questions! I promise!" The boyish wanderer held both hands up as a symbolic gesture of yield and obedience. Enishi lowered his head and sighed noisily.  
  
"Just stay out of my way."  
  
"Thank you!" Soujirou's voice was restored to its happy lustre. Enishi had begun to slowly move off into wherever he was going again, so Soujirou simply tagged along beside the older man, watching him carefully from the corner of his eyes.  
  
Whenever Enishi got into one of his 'moods', the last thing you wanted to do, Soujirou had learnt - the hard way, was to 'leave him alone'. No one knew what kind of random mayhem the ex-mafia boss would create when alone and unchecked. At least if there was someone beside him, he would think twice about lashing out at the nearest passerby who irked him. When all else failed, Soujirou knew at least he had a chance against the watou. He really did not want to owe Saitou more favours than they now already did. Public property, however easy to destroy, did /no/ credit to their already severely dishonoured reputations.  
  
Breaking from his thoughts, the younger swordsman caught sight of the scene up front, where Enishi was apparently leading them. He gasped. "Isn't that--?"  
  
"The big guy and the little one," Enishi interrupted, voice as cold as steel. "They went out just now. Thought they were taking a long time. So /that's/ what they're doing."  
  
Soujirou was not fooled by Enishi's seemingly the-weather-is-fine tone of voice. He knew it was a ruse to get him off guard so Enishi could run off and brood dangerously somewhere unseen. The Tenken smiled and grabbed his companion's arm, pulling him in the direction of the clifftop. "Let's go check it out! We could learn something new!"  
  
"I never said I was going to-" The white-haired man protested, but was already halfway being dragged there. He knew better than to try to wrench himself free from Soujirou's strong grip. He would get away, yes, but he would probably leave his arm behind in the event. A man could find nowhere to brood properly without being intruded upon every other second nowadays, he mumbled to himself.  
  
As his thoughts drew to a close, so did the distance between them and their destination. He abruptly stopped walking, and was not a moment too soon in making that decision, for immediately thereafter a heap of red crashed headlog onto the path before his feet with a tremendous sound.  
  
He stared. And he knew Soujirou was staring from behind him as well.  
  
"Hiko-san!" Soujirou was the first to start, when he noticed the taller figure in the background. He glanced at the curled up, coughing figure of Kenji, then back at Hiko, "What's going on?"  
  
The oldest person on scene perked up slightly at Soujirou's voice. His smirked simply stretched as he replied, "Nothing much, boy. Just having a friendly, harmless spar with the young one."  
  
"A friendly, harmless spar..." Enishi repeated dumbly, still staring at Kenji, who had steadied himself on one knee and was slowly getting up. He coughed again and a few drops of blood spattered across the sandy terrain. "... right," the white-haired man finished with slight disgust. "Friendly. Very friendly. Extremely harmless, too."  
  
"I... 'm not done yet!" Kenji spoke up next, much to everybody's surprise. He stood with much difficulty and stared hard into the distance, where Hiko was. There was a burning fire of determination in his eyes which neither Soujirou nor Enishi missed. They glanced at each other in amazement.  
  
"Is that all you got, kid?" Hiko, however, took down the path of insult. "Was your mother only lying when she wrote you had your father's skill and strength?"  
  
The flame in Kenji's eyes shifted dangerously. His entire posture changed. Soujirou slowly took a few steps backwards and Enishi slapped a hand to his forehead. A howling wind overtook the sounds of the thundering waterfall. Kenji, who had been breathing hard and agitated prior to Hiko's words, now exuded calm and still. He quietly readied his weapon, crouched, and with a curl of dust smoke, disappeared from his original spot--  
  
-- reappearing behind Hiko, as silently as he was gone.  
  
Although he had been fast, he was not nearly fast enough. The old master had already anticipated his appearance and was facing the boy in an instant. Unperturbed, Kenji vanished from sight in a blur again, and this time came attacking from the taller man's side. He was foiled with a startled gasp when Hiko simply tripped his unsteady feet.  
  
Quickly, his hands found the floor before his face did. He twisted around together with the metal rod in a full swing. The weapon followed smoothly in his hands and was almost about to graze Hiko's knee when the tall man kicked outwards. The sheer force of the kick coupled with the potential inertia in the swing clashed together and sent the metal rod out of Kenji's hands and over the cliff, right down into the vast pool of swirling watery deep beneath.  
  
Hiko watched, still smirking, the weapon finally disappear into the sea. He turned to face the boy, meaning to shoot off yet another sarcastic remark when a blur of red beneath his feet caught him by surprise. He felt a light force tug at the base of his hakama, and before he knew it, Kenji was a distance apart again, breathing hard, face lowered.  
  
The redhead looked up, when he finally caught his breath, and grinned while removing the small piece of cloth in his mouth.  
  
"I did it!!" He cheered, for some reason suddenly sounding very happy. "Yes!! I did it!!" He did not stop there, turning around, hopping, bouncing, and generally creating a scene. Stretching his hand out with the stripe of cloth, he narrowed his evidently tired eyes and grinned. "I did it, you old cheater! Now you better keep to your... part of the..."  
  
The sentence was not finished. Kenji flopped face first, gently, flat onto the dirt that was before him.  
  
Three pairs of eyes observed him as he did.  
  
"What," Enishi found his voice first, "in the world did you tell the boy to make him fight like that?" He pointed nonchalantly at the fallen redhead, although his line of sight was focused mainly on Hiko.  
  
"I didn't tell him anything much," the master of the Hiten calmly sheathed his sword. "I said that with his level of ability, it'd be a long day off before he can even be of any help in this project he has somehow gotten embroiled in."  
  
A pause.  
  
"It'd take a lot more than that to get the redhead so riled up," the ex-gangster snorted in disbelief.  
  
"Well," the oldest person shrugged, "I did dare him to try to get a thread off my back if he could. If he couldn't all of you will get the hell out of my territory. If he could then I'd consider telling you about my clients." Removing the thumb from his chin in a departure of his usual thoughtful pose, he smirked majestically at the two stunned warriors. "I hadn't think he'd take it so seriously." Lowering his eyes to grimace at his torn hakama, he shook his head. "This was the same method my baka deshi used to get me to let him run off the mountain. He really takes after his father."  
  
Enishi shifted slightly, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't think he would have liked to hear that."  
  
"I don't blame him," Hiko stood from the rock and sauntered down the cliffside. "I'd be terribly horrified if someone equated me to a moron of that level too." The large man stopped at where Kenji had passed out cold and looked down at the boy, with what could pass off as a twinge of nostalgia. "What a pity." He mouthed softly, surprising the two wanderers. "What a pity he had to inherit that stubborn, rebellious streak as well."  
  
"He has great talent," Soujirou offered, by way of relief. Seeing that nobody was going to, the wanderer then took it upon himself to turn Kenji the right way up and tend to the various cuts and bruises he had earned in the course of daring to go up against the master of the Hiten - who was evidently not even trying hard to fight. The wanderer smiled at nothing in particular. "I haven't actually seen Himura-san try so hard at something before. Gaining your approval must have meant a lot to him, Hiko-san."  
  
"/My/ approval?" Hiko sounded incredulous. He eyed Soujirou, then Enishi, then shook his head and continued his way down the path. There was confusion between the pair of wanderers, until they heard Hiko's voice again. "Well? What are you goons waiting for?" The man had stopped at the foot of the cliffside and turned to scold the two younger swordsmen. "Take the kid and come with me before I change my mind."  
  
Soujirou and Enishi immediately exchanged a glance of hidden delight and amazement, all previous tension lifted. They had evidently been prepared to fight down to the death if need be for the information they so desperately seeked. But it looks like Hiko was going to volunteer the data instead.  
  
Not ones to relinquish big breaks when it came their way, Soujirou deftly bent down to pick the unconscious Kenji up, and Enishi took off after Hiko.  
  
"Wait up, ya old bigot! You're not going anywhere without us, ya hear?"  
  
  
... to be continued  
--------------  
5/8/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd  
  
a/n  
i never knew hiko was so difficult to write. [winces in shame] anyway, if you haven't already, visit  
(remove spaces) tfme . net / rkrc / index . php  
right now to nominate your favourite rk fanfics for the awards!  
  
Koukeisha  
anyway, remember to email me when you get your story done! XD  
  
Darkening Dreams  
i'm very happy this fic is keeping you entertained and hope it will continue to do so for many chapters to come! :D  
  
misaoshiru  
indeed i shall persevere! and one day i promise i'll read your eni fic. i'll collect all my best brain cells specially for it! XD  
  
zeromaru  
okay okay, we have a bit of action here. XD more talking though up next :P  
  
Sailor-Earth13  
hiko is the master of the hiten psychology ryuu! XD  
  
De Lazy Lime  
nahahaha anyway thanks for sticking on to this uber long winded fic. XD  
  
Silver Nightingale  
i hadn't realised hiko was a twist?? XD as for what other plot twists... ehehe i have at least one more planned. stay tuned!  
  
sasori  
squee!!! [glomp] you stay fun and healthy too :D i'll feed you lotsa corn if you need it. and cheese. XD  
  
EEevee  
frank, direct pointers are good, anyway i see it. :D at least your friends are sure you never lie. XD yes! i'm definitely voting for you, and sasori, and firuze, and april-san, and shimizu, and angrybee! and... yeah. lots of you. XD may the awards be with you!  
  
sekihoutai  
the last chapter? [laughs] what if this fic was a hundred chapters long?! XD anyway thanks for breaking your silence. your encouragement is very appreciated. [glomp] yes. shinsengumi rox0rx!  
  
A. Krisis  
mwahahaha! yesh, intelligent you. :3 at least you didn't just say 'update!', right? XD  



	38. 37: Plodding

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.  
  
WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!  
  
WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.  
  
  
------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 37: Plodding  
  
  
It was the workshop, not the residence, that Hiko eventually led them to. The workshop was a little house just like the abode, except that it was situated directly beside the huge furnace, which burned with a slow but terrifying heat. Soujirou and Enishi could not help but find their gazes fixed upon the fire as they marched quietly behind Hiko, each wondering what use anyone could have for such a large burning pit.  
  
"Stop gaping," Hiko's casual, smug voice recalled them both to attention. He stood in front of the opened doorway of the workshop and gestured for them to step in. "Come in before I throw you in that furnace, seeing how you seem so fascinated by it."  
  
"Please don't joke with us, Hiko-san," Soujirou politely replied, a twitch of agony on his face showing that he /knew/ Hiko was likely /not/ joking. The old master had meant every word he had said.  
  
Hiko shrugged in reply. He then disappeared into the dark shadows of the hut.  
  
The two wanderers quickly followed, not wishing to test the man's threats of a fiery death. Once inside, Soujirou set Kenji down on a pile of rug, putting a hand over his forehead to see if he was running a fever. He then proceeded to examine the rest of wounds, relieved that none were individually threatening. As he was doing that, Enishi examined the room, taking in as much detail as he could. Just like the little hut they had already been in, this one was lined from floor to ceiling with various articles of pottery and art. There were no windows, but there was a back door that was firmly shut at the moment - much to Enishi's surprise. Hiko had never been a big fan of security.  
  
"I must say, though," Hiko drawled lazily, while pouring out a helpful supply of sake for himself, "that I thought both of you knew the better than to implicate a mere boy in this business of yours," he eyed Enishi warily, causing the man to stiffen. "Care to explain?"  
  
Soujirou had words on his mouth, but he reined them in when he sensed that, for some reason, Hiko was seeking an answer from Enishi instead. Enishi, on his part, was frowning in deep concentration. Soujirou could tell that his partner was trying to watch his words, and although he was half amused, he also understood the situation. If you got caught in a verbal sparring match against the master of the Hiten, all you could probably do was to sit and be lectured. The Hiten's psychological training must be something truly formidable for it to produce students like Hiko and Kenshin.  
  
Eventually, Enishi settled for the brief, summarised truth. "He followed us himself. Didn't point a gun at him asking him to come along," the voice was gruff and unhappy. It only made Hiko's smirk grow wider.  
  
"With both of your intelligence combined," the old master started, "I don't believe there wasn't a single method you couldn't have employed to shake the boy off your tracks cleanly." He saw the duo flinch and cocked his head slightly to a side. "So speak the truth up. Why, against good judgment, did you choose to keep the boy? Did you have something to prove? Was it for old times sake? Or wasn't it that you both saw," Hiko frowned and leant forward, "a glimpse of his father's spirit in him?"  
  
Enishi protested, after a split second delay, "What the hell was that supposed to mean?" He would have risen to full height in his furor if Soujirou hadn't firmly put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stay on the ground.  
  
The younger wanderer was not smiling, but instead pensive. He stared at the floorboards and shook his head. "He has a point, Yukishiro-san," was the mumble of explanation. Still, it calmed the raging tiger down somewhat. Enishi then looked away, and Soujirou tipped his head in a bow of recognition. "I suppose, Hiko-san, that you have hit the nail on the right spot."  
  
"Don't I always?" Hiko commented dryly, and Enishi suddenly felt a rising urge to destroy something. Anything! Soujirou, on the other hand, simply looked up from his bow with a plastered smile.  
  
"I think we were looking for Himura-san in him," Soujirou was saying, calmly, slowly, quietly. "I think we tried to see if we could find the man who changed our lives in his progeny. And I think..." his words trailed in the pause. "... that we went, a little too far."  
  
"It felt good, didn't it?" Hiko continued from where Soujirou left off, without a twitch in muscle. "It felt good knowing you could control a little boy - the boy who would grow to be like his parent. The man who once used to dominate your lives now become dominated by you." Hiko chuckled while sipping some sake. "You wanted to bask in the irony, didn't you? Both of you."  
  
Enishi did not respond, although he looked like he was going to. Instead he stole a glance at Soujirou, whose smile had returned and was beginning to radiate strange vibes. Recognising that expression, he shrank back into conversational darkness, knowing, that he did not have to wait long for the next spoken word.  
  
"Hiko-san," Soujirou's voice was polite, but slightly restrained. "We were looking for Himura-san... in his child," he slowly expounded, carefully pronouncing his words, "but we were not looking," he paused slightly, "... for Himura-san, himself."  
  
There was silence.  
  
"I knew, the moment I saw him," the wanderer continued, still smiling, "that he was the son of Himura Kenshin. Immediately, there were so many things I wanted to ask him. So many things I wanted to know. I thought he had answers to the questions I had. I thought he would take off from where his father left off. But it wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be fair to the boy, who was trying so hard to find his own identity. I could see in his eyes, that he was so confused," the smile slipped, and Soujirou opened his eyes full to behold Hiko. "There was so much pain - so much dissent. Then I knew. I had to know, that this is Himura Kenji. He is not the Himura-san I used to know.  
  
"If we had not let him come along, Hiko-san, we would never have known him as anything else - other than that he was Himura Kenshin's son." He smiled. "Of course, he has answers for my questions, without a doubt. But they are answers that he will give me as himself, and not as his father's son. That is what I have found out - that is what it will continue to be."  
  
Again, there was silence.  
  
"I see," Hiko closed his eyes and finished the rest of the sake in his cup. "That is good to know, because I would have accepted no other answer," he said, much to the surprise of the duo seated before him.  
  
"What do you mean?" Enishi found himself asking without really thinking about it.  
  
Hiko stood and eyed the duo carefully. "Do you think the boy is blind? He may be as stupid as my baka deshi, but he's not an unfeeling block of stone. He can feel, whether he realises it or not, what the both of you really see in him, what you really wanted him to become." He frowned at the unconscious figure of Kenji, still lying peacefully on the ground. "He knew you did not trust him. He could tell he was just an accessory. I don't know if he knew who you were, but if he does then it must have been painful when he knew he was nothing more than an ego boost." He walked towards the back door and shook his head, while pushing it open. "He's as stubborn as my baka deshi was. He sets his sight on something, he bulldozes his way to the finish. And his goal this time," the man halted in the middle of stepping out of the back door, "was to be of some real help to the both of you."  
  
"He'll be of real help to me if he doesn't ever cook for me again," Enishi agreed with a nod. Soujirou elbowed him painfully in the ribs. He quickly retrieved his hand after shooting Enishi a warning glance, then reclined and bowed deeply while still knelt. "Thank you for your advice, Hiko-san. Rest assured that it will remain deep in our hearts as always."  
  
Hiko actually smiled. He lifted his cup to his lips and tilted his head back to down the drink. After giving a sigh of satisfaction, he rose to his feet. "Follow me." He instructed plainly, then strode out via the back door. Soujirou and Enishi glanced briefly at each other, then followed him out.  
  
After the door clicked shut, a peaceful silence began to creep over the room.  
  
Kenji rolled to his side and opened his eyes. He stared at the floorboards for a long time, an unreadable expression painted across his features.  
  
  
... to be continued  
--------------  
28/10/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd  
  
a/n  
hi, and sorry for the short chapter. i just needed to get this out of my system first. then we can go on to fry bigger fish! oh yeah!!  
  
thank you all for your patience between updates. -bows-  



	39. 38: Two Conditions

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 38: Two Conditions

Behind Hiko's little workshop was a large clearing. There was a kiln bigger than the one Soujirou had seen at the front of the house, hidden behind the trees. It was not currently in use, which was the main reason why neither Soujirou and Enishi had detected it on their way in. It was also very well hidden among the towering trees. Soujirou could not help but gulp at the thing. he remembered vividly Hiko's initial threat about throwing him into it.

"What the hell do you need all these big vases for?" Enishi's authorative, demanding voice jolted Soujirou from his train of thought. Turning from the huge kiln, Soujirou diverted his attention to the other two men in the clearing. Hiko was perched atop a fallen log that acted as a sitting bench of sorts. Enishi towered before the seated man, arms folded across his chest and brows knotted in silent determination.

After pouring himself a generous helping of sake, Hiko peeked at Enishi with an eye closed. "Is it any business of yours to know?"

Soujirou could literally see Enishi attempting to suppress the awful words that were almost making their way out of his mouth. After a painful pause, Enishi coughed slightly. And responded, "It is, if it's related to the Yuugure - and you know what I mean."

Hiko opened both eyes to regard Enishi carefully. He took a huge swig of the sake from the bottle in his hand. Then he set it aside, and stood.

"I'll have you know beforehand," the older man was saying, "that as a merchant, 'Kakunoshin Niitsu' stands on nobody's side." He paused, to observe the other two's reactions. Soujirou was smiling. Enishi was frowning. No twitch, no flinch, no nothing. Kids were getting better at hiding their emotions, thought the old master to himself. He continued, "Therefore to convince the merchant of revealing vital information, one has to have something of value to offer to the trade." He smirked at the duo, when their faces began to grow dark and clouded. "Something of practical value, of course."

"But Hiko-san," Soujirou was the first to speak up, "you know we don't have anything to give you."

"Practical things don't always have to be material," Enishi suddenly interrupted from one side. Both Soujirou and Hiko regarded him with mixed degrees of interest and curiosity. Enishi ignored them both, choosing to walk up to a huge vase and examining it carefully. "Hey old guy," he knocked experimentally on the mouth of the vase. A taut, hollow sound of flesh against glass was produced. "How /long/ do you take to make one of these anyway."

Soujirou was taken slightly off guard by the apparently off-topic question. But Hiko's smirk stretched wider - if at all possible, and he tossed part of his fringe away from his eyes. "A couple or in a day or two, greenhorn. That's the fastest you can get from anyone in Kyoto."

Enishi was silent. He knocked on the vase a few more times. "That's impressive," he stated dully. "But you're still doing it wrong."

"I am, aren't I?" Hiko was playing along, Soujirou could tell. The man had too much pride over his own work to admit any flaw in them. Not that they had many to begin with anyway, though. Soujirou walked up to a nearby vase himself and mulled over it. Perhaps he was just not artistically inclined enough. He failed to see what could be wrong about the beautiful looking vase.

"The Japanese style of molding isn't going to last on huge vases like these," Enishi explained in a pondering tone, when a long silence had occurred. "And it slows down the whole process." He looked at Hiko to see if he was following. Hiko was staring at him with an amused expression on his face, so Enishi blinked and continued, "Didn't the client tell you to use the Chinese method?"

Hiko leaned back slightly, smirk still plastered on face. "I think the client," he iterated slowly, "was too busy trying to avoid any association with the word 'Chinese', to have highlighted that point to me."

Soujirou's smile faded slightly. This seemingly out of place conversation was definitely leading somewhere big.

"Apparently your client doesn't really understand art, then," Enishi snorted. But there was a shadow cast over his features. He stopped feeling the rim of the mouth of the vase and now looked across the huge clearing, where many more vases of the same size stood. "And how many did he commission you to make anyway."

"As many as I can within this month," Hiko shrugged. "The pay comes accordingly."

Soujirou did not like the sudden, evil, mercenary glint in Enishi's eye. "What if we help you make more?" The enterprising ex-mafia boss sneered.

Hiko now locked knowing glances with Enishi for a long, long time. Soujirou was smiling. Really, he was. These two men were not up to no good. No, they were not. And they were not leaving him out of a secret joke on purpose. Of course not. How could they? Nevermind the fact that Enishi was using 'we'. Soujirou knew from experience that whenever Enishi stooped to using 'we', it usually resulted in much massive mayhem. Or excruciating embarrassment. Usually on the part of Soujirou. Although his sixth sense tingled, Soujirou refused to butt into the conversation just yet. Patience was a virtue. At least, that was what Yumi had always said. Shishio, of course, believed in no such thing.

"We split the pay for your batch of porcelain," Hiko eventually said, putting an end to the ranting in Soujirou's head. He pointed a finger at Enishi, "eighty-twenty. Of course, as middleman, I get the eighty," he smirked.

Enishi twitched. "Sixty-forty," he bargained.

"Eighty-twenty."

"Sixty percent of the proceeds something you never did sounds like a pretty darn good deal to me." A pause. "It's better than zero, in any case, isn't it? You can't buy sake with zero, you know."

Silence.

"You know how to drive a hard bargain, don't you?"

A snicker. "Sixty or zero. Not very hard to choose from."

"You're on," Hiko finally said, a big, wide smile on his face. "But I have two other conditions."

"Why am I not surprised?" Enishi muttered, glancing upwards at the darkened skies. "What is it this time?"

"Nothing to do with you, that's for sure," Hiko snickered. "You'd agree to anything to make your plans go through smoothly, wouldn't you?" He eyed Enishi seriously. Enishi's face was blank, but an onlooker could easily tell that he was suddenly sombre. "First of all," Hiko declared, "I want Soujirou to say that he will accept his new weapon." This statement was made with much fanfare. Hiko withdrew something from under his mantle and flung it towards the surprised Soujirou, who caught the mysterious item before it landed smack on his face. He lowered it, so that he could see it properly.

It was a bamboo sheath. With the hilt of his wooden ex-sword protruding from it.

A whirl of emotions and thoughts immediately invaded Soujirou's mind. "Hiko-san, where... where did you get this?" He asked, a bright ring of innocence in his voice. Hiko raised an eyebrow.

"Your esteemed partner asked the noisy ninja girl to pass it to me," the older swordsman stated, "with specific instructions as to how to repair the thing." Hiko was now settled back onto the log and grabbed his previously abandoned sake bottle in a fistful. "You didn't know?"

Soujirou's head whirled around at warp speed nine to stare smilingly at Enishi. Enishi suddenly found the starless night sky to be fascinating, and was examining it with great interest.

"Of course you didn't know," Hiko answered the question himself, with a nonchalant shrug. "Well, Soujirou? What do you think? You can say no," Hiko smirked, earning him a glare from Enishi and a puzzled look from Soujirou.

"Why would I say no to anything from you, sir?" Soujirou asked, when it seemed appropriate for him to. He took the hilt in one hand, and the sheath in the other. He was going to pull the blade out, when he hesitated. When he had grabbed the hilt, there was a noise from within the scabbard.

A noise he had not heard for a long, long time.

The unmistakable noise of metal blade against wooden sheath.

For a while, Soujirou was silent. His eyes were wide but unreadable. His smile had faded into a shadow of its former glory. "A real, metal blade?" He eventually asked. Very softly.

Hiko did not voice a reply, choosing to smirk knowingly at the bemused boy.

"I..." Soujirou lowered the hand that was holding the blade, his other free hand going up to ruffle the side of his head. "...I didn't know you forged blades, Hiko-san." He finally said, with soft, nervous laughter. There was a smile, that did not quite reach his ears.

"A true artisan can handle any form of sculpture with ease," Hiko replied offhandedly. "I've always wanted to try my hand at a weapon or two, anyway..." the older person stroked his chin gently. "I have great confidence in my skill, Soujirou," he continued, without a trace of modesty in his tone at all. "That blade will certainly be of great help to you."

"I..." Soujirou glanced at the weapon, still sheathed. "...hope so."

"But like I said," Hiko waved off Soujirou's hesitation easily, "whether or not you want the blade is entirely up to you. If you don't want it, just give it back," Hiko held his hand out, "I'll get rid of it for you. It could be worth a few weeks of good wine."

Soujirou was truly torn. He had guessed that Enishi would pull a fast one on him like this. That fast one being Enishi getting Soujirou a tool that would prove more useful to Enishi, than Soujirou. He only didn't think that his instincts would prove to be so accurate. He had truly hoped his instincts would have failed him this time.

Soujirou fingered the sheathed blade carefully. He closed his eyes in quick determination. Thereafter, he closed his other hand on the hilt of the weapon and slowly, surely, drew the blade out. The thing gleamed, though the moonlight was hidden. Soujirou adjusted it so that the light would not reflect directly in his eyes. He sighed inwardly. It was a beautifully sculpted weapon all right. The blade was sharp and new, beckoning to be used.

With a loud, conclusive 'shing', Soujirou resheathed the sword. He let his hand rest on the hilt, where the imprint of the Kamiya dojo still was. He studied the words carefully, every chip and scratch. Etched along with these imperfections were precious memories of the past which he held dear.

Memories that would be betrayed, he knew, if he shed but one more drop of innocent blood.

"It's not..." Soujirou began, surprised at how calm his voice was. Surprised that he was smiling again, without meaning to. "It's not that I have anything against real blades, or that I lack belief in your abilities, sir..." he glanced at Hiko, just to check if he was showing signs of being offended. When there was none, the wanderer continued, "...but this blade..." Soujirou stared at the weapon he was gripping tightly. "...isn't very appropriate... don't you think?"

Enishi got ahead of Hiko in the interrogation. "What do you mean?" He asked tersely, sounding neither angry nor happy. "It's not like your name is Himura Kenshin. It's not like you've taken some silly non-killing vow." He further continued, now with a slightly mocking tone to his voice. "You're not going to be of any real use if you continue walking around with a ten ton wooden sword," Enishi reminded him, "Remember what that sullen block of ice did to your previous one?"

"I understand, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou lowered his gaze to the ground. "But it would seem... strange... that a blade bearing the name of the living sword would be first and foremost lethal and dangerous," he smiled wistfully at his partner, "wouldn't it?"

Enishi took only a second to get over being stunned. He narrowed his eyes upon the other. "I don't know and don't care much about the Kamiya girl's living sword philosophy," he drummed out, voice scolding, "but you're not a student there. You're not anything to them. And if you were one, then you'd be a disgrace anyway," he spat. "The 'living sword' is what they call it, right? Then you fail terribly. If you can't even bring a sword to life according to your terms of usage, then you're not wielding any sword at all," Enishi's glance hardened. "You're just letting that sword wield you."

Something stirred within the younger wanderer. Soujirou stared seriously at Enishi. Deep within him, he knew vaguely that every word his friend had said was dead on target.

"True strength," Hiko agreed, a cup of rice wine mere inches from his mouth, "is how well you control your every stroke of the weapon. Will you slay or will you save?" Hiko emptied the contents of the cup into his mouth swiftly. He sighed from the drink. "If you're not the one in control, your sword is dead. And of course," Hiko smirked, "so will be the people you slash a dead sword with."

Soujirou did not know if Hiko was joking. He hoped the older man was. "Does this mean the advancement of our mission hinges upon my accepting of the sword, then?" He chirped, a bit of mood returning in the midst of his confusion.

"Yes," Enishi immediately answered. /And you will not say no, or else!/, was the underlying threat to Enishi's otherwise affirmative reply.

"Mm..." Soujirou mumbled something garbled, "...I dislike making decisions that will affect the future of the world."

"You're not quite there yet, world hero," Hiko snorted. "Agreeing to this'll only ensure you income and a roof over your head for the next week at most. What happens after that," he stood, "I make no guarantees."

Soujirou did seriously doubt why they suddenly needed a roof over their head and any form of income at all. He gave Enishi a sidelong glance. His companion stood tall and sure. Then again, when had he never? He knew distinctly that Enishi had something up his sleeve. Not that he questioned the intelligence of his partner, but he would have appreciated a briefing in advance, really. Soujirou sighed inwardly. Teaming up with Enishi was worst than a whirlpool shipwreck into the beyonds of the Japan Sea.

Still.

"I trust Yukishiro-san," Soujirou declared plainly. "I trust that I will eventually see the wisdom behind why he needs me to have a weapon thus, so..." He smiled. "Thank you for this wonderful gift, Hiko-san."

Hiko was evidently pleased with the response. He had closed his eyes, smiling like a proud, yet resigned parent. He had known the duo for many years, since they first stumbled upon his hidden abode that cold winter night a long time ago. Though he did not particularly favour brats who had anything to do with his stupid disciple, he continued to humour the two wanderers then.

Back then, they were lost and helpless. They were travelling without a destination. There was no expectation in their actions, no grit in their eyes.

Everything had changed, from since back then.

"Excellent," Hiko finally pronounced his pleasure. He looked purposefully in Enishi's direction. "Doesn't that feel good, having someone trust so much in you?" The rhetorical question made Enishi look up, but he said nothing in reply. Soujirou was back to smiling widely at nothing in particular, when Hiko continued, "But the second condition isn't going to be settled so easily."

"What would the condition be?" Soujirou was immediately curious. He had completely forgotten there was a second condition until Hiko mentioned it.

"I know," Enishi suddenly spoke up from where he had been keeping silent all the time. He eyed Hiko evenly. "You want to train him."

"Train him?" Soujirou echoed, not fully grasping the meaning until he had finished the sentence. His eyes widened. He turned to look at Hiko. "...Really, Hiko-san?" He tried not to sound too incredulous.

Hiko tossed his hair to the winds, and struck a pose. "The senile brat is right," he ignored Enishi's glares of protest in the background.

"I want to train Himura Kenji. In the way of the Hiten."

--------------  
... to be continued  
10/12/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd

a/n  
ff:net no longer allows double returns in the main text of fanfiction T.Tx sorry if the formatting is a bit off! 


	40. 39: Windy Words

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission. 

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 39: Windy Words

Two days later found Soujirou looming above a formless heap of wet clay. He had been staring at the massive amount of matter for a long time, motionless. Finally, he stooped down, hands poised above the lump of cowering clay. There was a look of adamant determination on his face. Along with a grin that qualified as evil. The wet clay sparkled fearfully.

"Tenken," Enishi suddenly toed him from behind, disrupting him from his concentration. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Soujirou turned around, a sunny smile plastered all over his face. "Helping you out, Yukishiro-san!"

"Help me, really, by not touching the clay anymore," Enishi rolled his eyes. "Your sense of productivity is about as good as the redhead's sense of taste."

"Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou protested, aghast. "I don't think I'm /that/ bad!"

"Yes you are," Enishi was relentless. Soujirou's face fell. "Now if you're done fooling around, we have something more important to do." The white-haired man was saying, while glancing furtively around the forest perimeter.

Soujirou instantly sobered. He narrowed his eyes. "You don't mean," he whispered, "...Hiko-san's super secret stash of sake rumoured to be worth more than a few-" The younger wanderer had to stop here, because Enishi stomped on one of his feet at this point of time. Resisting the urge to yell in pain, Soujirou quickly wrenched his smarting foot free from the nonchalant man. "Ow! Yukishiro-san! That really hurt!"

"Good," Enishi snorted, "It was supposed to. Get your head out of the gutter and be more serious!"

Soujirou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, even as Enishi moved to enter into the workshop. Casting the melting pile of clay one last look, Soujirou ran along and was soon trailing his enigmatic partner. He was still not privy to whatever plans Enishi had up his sleeve, so he followed quietly through the various workshop doors until they arrived at the house proper. Enishi immediately got busy shuffling through the drawers there. Soujirou merely stood to a side, miffed.

"Yukishiro-san," he eventually said, "we /are/ looking for that secret stash of sake after all, aren't we-" he ducked to one side, just in time to avoid getting hit by a flying bottle of ink. "Come on, Yukishiro-san, you can be honest with me, really. I won't tell Hiko-san, and I'll even help, see?" He stepped forward towards another shelf of drawers. "It has to be somewhere around here, right?"

"Get your head screwed on right, you little twerp!" Enishi almost snarled. "We're looking for documents related to the dealings 'Kakunoshin Niitsu' has with the representative of the Yuugure, while the artisan is out dealing with his new protege. Make yourself useful and look around for it, and please stop day dreaming about that secret stash of sake or whatever it is for now," the man threw his hands into the air. "...we can look for it after we get a hold of the documents, though."

Soujirou giggled at first, then grinned. "Of course!" Quickly, he began rummaging around the drawers that were before him. "This was your intention from the very beginning, wasn't it?" He asked, having resolved a few minor details out in these past two days. "To establish us as workers of the artisan, so that we have a legal excuse to be in the house?"

Enishi paused in the midst of shuffling a few sheets of paper. "I had something else on mind," he corrected his companion, "this opportunity to nab evidence for that crabhead police was the old man's alone. I'm only improvising." He paused here, and his hands began to hurry around a certain sheet of parchment. "Found it." He glanced over the contents, before finally folding it and keeping it. "Okay, time to hightail."

"Wait, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou said softly. There was a pause in which Enishi frowned at Soujirou questioningly. "What was your original intent then, if this document hunt wasn't your idea in the first place?" His face was solemn. "Will you tell me, please?"

Enishi's frown slowly smoothed into a blank, poker look. He looked at the ground, pose pondering. Finally, he walked towards the doorway, hovering about there for a while just so that he could mutter something back at his companion, which turned out to be, "Let's go take a walk," after which he exited the house, silent and sure. Not waiting for Soujirou's response or reaction.

The younger wanderer did not seem to mind. "Of course," he replied, as he smiled warmly, and started to follow his partner out. "It's not every day we get to visit scenic forests on the outskirts of Kyoto, after all! And it's not like you're giving me a chance to say no, are you?" Soujirou chirped.

He narrowly missed being hit by a huge rock that came sailing out from the middle of nowhere.

--

They ended up at the edge of the cliff of the mountain they were in. Throughout the long walk there, Enishi had remained silent. Thus, so had Soujirou. First and foremost, Soujirou really had nothing to say. He waited, patiently, while growing increasingly relaxed, for Enishi to initiate the conversation.

They peered over the cliff edge, where a strong wind rose up to greet them. Out in the distance, a minor part of Kyoto was visible. It stood out, rustic and grey, against the backdrop of a glowing, blue horizon. Red torii's decked the surface of the mountain opposite them, distinctly reminding Soujirou of his less than perfect past. He tilted his head, meaning to spare Enishi a sidelong glance. That did not happen, for Enishi was not where he last stood.

Turning fully, Soujirou spotted Enishi behind him. The white-haired man had found a flat rock somewhere near the boundary of the forest and had seated himself down there. Soujirou walked up to him, smiling. "If I didn't know any better, I would have thought Hiko-san's lethargy was rubbing off on you."

Enishi merely eyed him strangely. He did not response.

Despite the lack of activity, Soujirou sat himself down on the rock as well, since there was space and Enishi was not glaring at him in protest. He looked beyond the cliff, at the horizon. The peace and tranquility was indeed overwhelming. He could fully understand why Hiko chose to meander around melodious sounds of nature than the noisy bustle of human life in the cities.

"The sunset in this part of Kyoto is strongest in this season," Enishi quipped suddenly. Soujirou simply stared at him, as he continued, "...or at least, that's what I used to tell them... I think."

"Them?" Soujirou wondered aloud, his voice hollow. Enishi did not reply, although Soujirou had not expected him to. Eventually realising that staring at Enishi's unreadable facade was not going to reveal anything to him, Soujirou leaned backwards and looked out into the open skies as well. "Sunset, huh..." he whispered, letting the breeze carry his voice into the valley. "The sun's last rays of struggle against the inevitable before it disappears into nothingness... beautiful it is, yet fierce and final." He propped an elbow against his lap and rested his cheek upon an upturned palm. "...what a perfect description for what is sure to come for the Yuugure."

"That I don't doubt," Enishi stated flatly, his form relaxing slowly. "I hope the redhead finishes his training with visible results, though, otherwise we'll be just dragging a little burden around." He shook his head, withdrawing the piece of document he had taken from Hiko's room. After scanning through the words, he sighed softly. He thrust the document into Soujirou's face wordlessly.

Already used to Enishi's sometimes rough handling of important documents and especially important situations, Soujirou took the paper without complaint and looked at it. "Large vase - as many as possible, end of month of this date, payment upon delivery by trusted party, signed and sealed..." He quinted at the seal mark on the document. "...some temple," he eventually said, when he could not recognise the seal.

"It's the Azumamaro Temple," Enishi confirmed. "The little entrance shrine that's a little south of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The main ceremonial conductors of the Inari Shrine lodge there. At least, I think they used to," Enishi shrugged, "...they were still there some years ago, that is. It's anyone's guess what the temple is and who stays there now."

"Hmm..." Soujirou rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "...what use could the priests of a little shrine like that have for so many huge vases?"

"Not for anything good, anyway I see it," Enishi snorted. He gestured at Soujirou to return the document to him, which Soujirou did. He kept the document after folding it, looking out into the horizon again. "I wanted to put up a show for the other side - to ensure them that we aren't anybody suspicious, but just a couple of wanderers looking for food and lodging under the great Kakunoshin Niitsu."

Soujirou looked at Enishi. "So that when delivery day comes, we will assist in the actual moving of goods into wherever it is they wish for the goods to be moved?"

"Yup," Enishi said. There was no ambiguity in his tone. "That saves us from the step of actually sneaking into the temple, risking discovery and adding yet another black mark to our name in the police department, don't you think?"

Soujirou actually laughed this time. "Does it really matter to you how black our names are to Saitou-san?" He hid his mouth behind a hand and spared Enishi a smiling, sidelong glance. "You just don't want to go through the trouble of sneaking into the temple to try to locate a place that may not exist, or worst, is the inaccurate location of the opponent's headquarters, do you?"

Enishi, with his eyes still on the horizon, smiled, ever so slightly. "Oops," he stated dully, "can't fool the genius, can I?"

"But," Soujirou's expression quickly became straight and serious. "Yukishiro-san, who are we putting up a show for?" He stretched his feet, staring thoughtfully at his toes. "Hiko-san could, of course, claim to the client that we are trustworthy. But where would the assurance be? If we must put up a show, should it not be before the person who commissioned the deal, so that he would trust us, and thus agree to allow us to move the goods to this secret location when the time for delivery is due?"

Enishi did not reply, for a while. But when he did, his voice was calm and sure. "Don't worry," he said, not too reassuringly, but confidently all the same, "they will come. And until they do, we'll just have to play our part as the wanderers in need well."

"I would love to ask where that confidence of yours comes from," Soujirou sighed, then smiled rather cheekily. "But I do believe this is yet another item of interest that is 'none of my business'?"

"Keh," Enishi suddenly stood, putting his hands akimbo on his waist. The setting sun was now bright orange, flushing the entire land with a rich, red glow. Enishi blinked at it. "You're not a baby. I don't have to tell you everything," he scoffed. "Once the client comes, you can figure everything out by yourself." His arms now folded themselves across his chest.

"I guess I could," Soujirou admitted, after a long silence passed, in which the sun gradually sunk beneath the horizon. The sky slowly turned dark blue. The stars began to twinkle brightly. The breeze rapidly sunk into a biting cold from its previous warmth. "But I'd really rather..." /hear you tell me yourself/ "...if you had told me instead..." /that you at least trust me with your thoughts/ "...because," the momentary solemnity in Soujirou's voice was lifted, like how his lips were lifted up into a beam, "...it's just so strenuous to have to unravel the whole mess by myself!" He laughed softly. With a hand behind his head, he stood as well. "Ah well, I guess I could do with some mental exercises once in a while." Soujirou turned. He began to stroll leisurely down the path they had come from. "Thank you for the walk, Yukishiro-san. It was nice. And the sunset was great too."

Enishi made no response, except to sigh and bow his head lower.

"I think there's more to 'trust' than just a few meaningless words, you know."

Soujirou stopped moving forward, upon Enishi's surprising words, softly mumbled, as if he was sharing a secret. Another gust of wind swept itself upwards from the valley, drowning the silence with a sad howl. And then it died down, as suddenly as it came.

"But if you cannot even 'trust' with a few meaningless words," Soujirou then spoke up, equally soft, "then..."

Another howling wind interrupted whatever else Soujirou had to say, if he indeed had anything else to say. By the time the winds died down, the younger wanderer had resumed his walking. He was now deep within the foliage, the sounds of his feet shuffling through the undergrowth softly fading into the distance.

Enishi stood for a while more. His sigh was as heavy as the thud he made when he flopped back down on the flat rock behind him. Before him, the sun cast its final rays upon the ground, before quietly setting, eaten whole by the shadows of tomorrow.

He remained seated at the cliff for a long time that night.

--

Aoshi lit a candle. He placed it on the low table where he had been reading a book on. The previously dark room was transformed into a shifty, shadowy chamber aglow with soft orange. His eyes were on the book, on the last word he had been reading. But his attention was vaguely somewhere else.

"Aoshi-sama," a voice suddenly boomed from a dark corner of the room. "The word that has been put out is spreading very well."

Aoshi's eyes were still upon the page. Like he had not heard the voice. "Does the opponent suspect anything?" He asked, tone casual. He turned a page.

"No, sir," was the immediate reply. "We have verified this. It can be safely assumed that they put full faith in the rumour, and may be reacting to it soon."

Aoshi nodded. "What is the police up to in the meantime?"

"They have been keeping to themselves since the previous meeting," the voice answered.

"And the chances that their unpredictable actions will ruin the plan already in motion?" Aoshi closed the book, setting it aside.

Silence.

"...it cannot be verified, Okashira."

Aoshi tucked his hands into the sleeves of his yukata. He closed his eyes. "That's all I needed to know. Send out the command to keep a tight watch over the movement of Saitou's men. Inform me immediately if anything goes off course. By a couple of days more at most, the issue will be settled." He stood, bringing the candle along as he walked. "Go," was the final, plantitive command.

A wisp of wind disturbed the interior of the room. When Aoshi stepped out of it, there was no one else in the room anymore.

--------------  
... to be continued  
22/12/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd

a/n  
hey guys - thanks for all of your patience for waiting out this fic though it was starting to get a little long? eheheh. Pyrrhic Lotus, thanks for pointing out the kenji/kenshin/hiten issue. you're right about that! i should change the flow of the story a bit. XD once again, thank all of you for staying on for so long! more to come soon and really sorry for making this whole thing so draggy!!! T.Tx


	41. 40: Mind Games

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 40: Mind Games

"Yuki-san!" Soujirou's bright, chirpy voice made Enishi decidedly more irritated, him not having had much sleep the night prior. And how dare the little prick change Enishi's name for him just like that! "Some guests are here to see Kakunoshin-san!"

Upon the mention of Hiko's artisan name, Enishi's previously muddled mind immediately whirred into action. Soujirou noticed the look of realisation dawn on Enishi's face. He smiled,E He turned. Slowly.

"This is my friend," Soujirou immediately introduced. If he noticed the shocked faces on three of the people in the group, he did a great job of hiding it. "Yuki-san!"

Silence reigned.

"Hello, Yuki-san," someone from within the group finally said. It was the long-haired man - the only one who had not had a shocked look on his face when Enishi turned to mildly glare at the entourage. "Pleased to meet you."  
he was sure he knew who they were.

And of course, he was sure they knew who he was too.

He was a little too late in making his decision. By the time he made a move to exit the house and search for Hiko, perhaps warning him of the coming guests, Soujirou had brought the guests in. "Please take a seat anywhere!" He chirped, much to Enishi's annoyance. He knew it was not that the boy did not have tact. It was just that he must have subconsciously sensed that this would greatly frustrate Enishi and thus reveled in making his voice as happy as possible in his presence. Enishi sighed, hearing the shuffle of feet behind him, knowing that this was a situation he would have to face sooner or later.

He turned. Slowly.

"This is my friend," Soujirou immediately introduced. If he noticed the shocked faces on three of the people in the group, he did a great job of hiding it. "Yuki-san!"

Silence reigned.

"Hello, Yuki-san," someone from within the group finally said. It was the long-haired man - the only one who had not had a shocked look on his face when Enishi turned to mildly glare at the entourage. "Pleased to meet you."

The other three were still too shocked to speak.

"Yuki-san had a terrible accident some decades ago when he saw someone important die before his eyes," Soujirou continued to chirp, purposely oblivious to the aura of danger Enishi was emitting in his general direction, "so he lost his voice! Please don't mind his sullen silences!"

If Enishi had not thought that that had been ingenius of Soujirou first and foremost, he would have strangled the happy little fellow to death, there and then.

"I see," the long haired man, evidently the leader, nodded. "I understand your pain, Yuki-san." He said, in a voice that was sweet like honey yet dangerous like the bees that surrounded it. Reaching up to touch his eyes with a pale, calloused hand, he stated, "I am disabled, too. Here, though." He ghosted a couple of fingers over his closed eyes.

This seemingly snapped his three other followers out of their shock. "Ming..." The one standing closest to him - the only girl in the entourage, stepped even closer and wanted to say something, likely in protest. The man - Ming was his name, held a hand out, silencing her.

"My name is Ming," he introduced, then gestured to where his followers were, "these are my companions."

"I am Guang," the tallest person in the group continued from where Ming left off. He was hulking, to say the least. He had an aura of a seditary predator, waiting to pounce if only the prey warranted it. His accent was thick, and his language unsure. "I am pleased to meet you." He bowed obligingly at Soujirou, who bowed back. When he turned to bow to Enishi, however, he froze, and began to tremble. "And... and you too..." he tried hard not to stutter, failing. He bowed, taking a long time to straighten himself.

"Da," the smaller, thinner man said, bowing. He, too, gave Enishi a dubious look which was a cross between grave fear and deep hesitation. He said nothing else.

"And I am Zheng," the girl was the last to introduce herself. She shot Enishi a lethal glare, though her pupils were also tinted with specks of fear. "Where is the master Kakunoshin? We wish to speak to him, not his filthy dogs."

"Zheng, watch your mouth," Ming frowned at the girl, who shrank back slightly but continued glaring at Enishi. Enishi sighed again, this time inwardly. He retreated slightly so he could lean against the wall of the house interior, quirking an eyebrow at Soujirou. Soujirou simply smiled back. "I am sorry for her words," Ming said, also smiling, but much more deviously. "But she is right. We need to speak with the master. Can you bring us to him?"

"Why don't you sit down and rest a bit first?" Soujirou gestured towards the ground, he himself halfway kneeling upon it. "Kakunoshin-san has gone up to the retreats and will not be back until he wishes to return. If you are unable to stay indefinitely, I will be happy to take down your message for him and relay it to the master when he returns."

Da and Guang tensed immediately. Zheng continued glaring. Ming continued smiling. "That would not be necessary," he said. "We will have to speak to the master himself, or we will not be speaking to him at all."

"Mmm..." Soujirou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "...how terrible... because we do not really know where Kakunoshin-san has gone to..."

"This is an emergency!" The burly Guang suddenly shouted, slamming a fist against a nearby wall. The entire house shook. Wood and soil dribbled onto the ground from the ceiling. "Bring the man out at once!"

"Silence!" Ming's curt, yet commanding voice cut the stout man down. Guang calmed down, but was still evidently seething. "Will you please attempt to find the master, Souji-san?" He then asked Soujirou in a softer, more polite voice. "It is about the deal of big vases we had offered to him about two weeks ago..."

"Hmm..." Soujirou mumbled, eyes on the ceiling in a pondering pose. "The huge shipment of huge vases to be delivered to Azumamaro?" He offered. And this time, even Ming was surprised. The questioning look on his face made Soujirou literally laugh out loud. "Please don't look so surprised." He gestured to the ground, where several zabutons were already laid out. "Take a seat, please. I will answer your questions, if you have any."

The group still had doubt and suspicion written over their faces. Soujirou kept his smile warm.

"Yuki-san!" Soujirou suddenly chirped, very /very/ happily. "I know! Why don't you brew some nice, refreshing green for our guests here?" He grinned, teeth and everything, at the stunned Enishi, who had been trying to hide in the shadows all this time. "Don't let the guests look down on your tea-service! Oh, we don't seem to have any water so you may have to go draw some..." He pouted, but there was no compassion in his voice at all. "The tea leaves are in the back room. Thanks, Yuki-san! We'll be waiting for you!"

Enishi thought he almost blew a blood vessel on Soujirou. Suddenly, strangling the smiley face seemed like the best idea in the world.

--

When Enishi returned from drawing water from the well, Soujirou was already engaged in animated conversation with the guests. So engrossed they were in what Soujirou was saying, they did not notice him slipping into the house from the back door. Enishi shook his head, proceeding to brew the tea. He wondered how Soujirou was able to hold their attention for so long, when it was getting rather obvious to him that the boy was incessantly chattering about nothing in particular.

The pot of tea did not take long to brew. Once it was ready, Enishi carted the thing over, along with a few cups. He laid them in front of the guests and plonked himself down beside where Soujirou was kneeling. "Ah," Soujirou smiled at him. "Thank you!" Placing the cups before the individuals in the group and pouring out tea for everybody, Soujirou warmly invited, "Have a drink! It gets pretty cold around here when evening comes!"

While the guests looked suspiciously at their cups of tea, Enishi grabbed his cup and downed his tea in one gulp. The hot water slithered down his throat, almost burning it. But it was all right with him. The way things were now, he would not have minded downing the entire pot in one gulp, just to see if he would wake up.

The guests looked at him, impressed. Enishi slammed his cup on the ground, glaring up at the three who were not blind from where he sat. Immediately, they shrank back. Enishi wondered if he should grin maniacally while he was at it. That would really bring back memories for his ex-followers, wouldn't it?

"Yuki-san," a calm, serious voice jolted him from his thoughts. He turned, noticing that Soujirou had tilted his head so that he could look at Enishi in the eye. "Don't scare the guests like that, please?"

Enishi transferred his glare from the four sitting opposite him to Soujirou. But Soujirou was unfazed. He had seen enough Enishi-glares to be able to tell that this one had no real threat behind it. Well, not yet, anyway. Finally, Enishi relented. He rolled his eyes and relaxed into his posture, keeping his facade poker and aura calm.

Their little silent exchange did not escape the observant eyes of the girl known as Zheng. She frowned.

"So, as I was telling them," Soujirou picked up the conversation, once he knew he had control of it again, "Kakunoshin-san has gotten himself a new protege, and is currently in the retreat with his protege, training him in many things. It is a great honour that he has engaged us to continue his work for him while he concentrates on the bigger task! We are certainly pleased to be of service to you!" He bowed slightly.

"It seems rather incompetent of Kakunoshin-san to leave a huge task an important client has entrusted him into the hands of amatuers," Zheng immediately protested, venom dripping from her deep voice. "Does he hold us in no regard at all?"

"That is an unreasonable assumption, my lady," Soujirou looked in the direction of Zheng, smiling at her. "Yuki-san is well known for his craft in porcelain - skilled in techniques from both shores." He paused, to take in the doubtful look on the faces of the group. "Shall I tour you around his wares now?"

The trio looked to their leader, at a seeming loss. Ming himself was in deep thought, for his smile was no longer on his face. Only for a while, though, for he soon resumed smiling, saying, "That would not be necessary," he stated. "Since we have delegated the job to the master, we have absolute faith in his abilities - including his ability to choose his subordinates."

"Your words shine with reason, Ming-san," Soujirou smiled in his way.

"Thank you," Ming nodded. "When will we be able to speak with the master about a few things, then?"

Soujirou lifted a finger to point at the ceiling. "Of course! We can try to look for him, but I give you no guarantees. Please stay here for a while with Yuki-san, and I will be right back after I find him, if I ever do," Soujirou was saying, while slowly rising to full height. "I'll be right back...-"

"No! Wait!" the girl immediately cried out. "We will go with you," she insisted, while casting furtive, uncertain glances to a side at Enishi. Enishi stared at her back levelly. "The master seems rather adamant about staying out, so he may not wish to return at all," she tried to clarify, as she was attracting much attention with her illogical outburst, "and since we are already here, we will not leave without speaking to the master." She stood as well, amidst audience attention. "We will follow you."

After an awkward silence, the man called Ming stood as well. "Perhaps she is right. We will not be achieving much by staying put here. Souji-san, would it be okay if we accompanied you for the search for the master?"

Soujirou put on a troubled face. "But this may be a wild goose chase, Ming-san. I will be just running around the places I think he will be to see if they are there. I cannot guarantee that we will definitely find him." He tilted his head to a side questioningly. "...would you still like to go in this case?"

"Yes!" Zheng exclaimed.

Ming turned in the direction of her voice and gave her a strange look. He then continued calmly, "A nice walk along the paths of nature may sooth our nerves from the long journey to Kyoto."

Soujirou laughed funnily. "A nice /walk/, huh?" He mumbled under his breath. "...I wasn't really intending to /walk/, but anyway..." Aloud and clearly he said, while gesturing towards the back door, "This way, please!"

Everybody except Enishi stood and began shuffling out of the hut. The trio who accompanied Ming turned back periodically to stare at him. The girl merely grit her teeth, then ran ahead to catch up with Ming. The other two remained hovering about the doorway. They had something to say but were not saying it out loud, and that made Enishi feel rather frustrated. He had been staring at a particular spot on the wall, trying hard to ignore the looks the others were throwing in his direction. He knew that stirring trouble at this particular point in time would delay their mission further, so he chose to steer clear of it. But enough was enough, he decided. He turned.

Soujirou and Ming were already out of the house, and Zheng was clinging near him. Da and Guang were the two that had not yet exited. The sudden change in eye contact could literally be felt, for Enishi did not hold back his irritation.

"What are you guys staring at?" Enishi snarled softly, so that only those who were in the house could hear. He flashed the two frightened men a sly smile. "Don't you know who I am?"

The duo immediately tensed. Thick fear was instantly drawn over their faces. But before they could bolt or say a word, Enishi sighed loudly, running a hand through his hair. He stood silently, turning to stare at the others one last time. Without another word more, he exited the house via the front exit nonchalantly, as if he had never spoken a word before.

"Xue Dai!" Guang pointed at the other door with a slack jaw. He turned to Da, who was also staring at the other door. "Yukishiro!"

They stared at each other a moment more. Then turned tail and sprinted as fast as they could towards where their two other comrades were.

--------------  
... to be continued  
22/12/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	42. 41: Dangerous Banter

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 41: Dangerous Banter

"There are hardly any birds out in the forest of Kyoto, are there?" Ming commented offhandedly.

"Oh, there usually are," Soujirou replied, smile fixed in place. In a soft whisper, he continued, "But they stay away when they sense danger!"

"What do you mean by that?" Zheng raised her voice, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the smiling Soujirou. "Are you suspecting us of something?"

"I meant what I meant!" Soujirou chirped. He was further up, so he threw a glance backwards. "Don't birds always view humans as dangerous?" There was mock surprise in his tone that was well executed, for it caught Zheng off-guard. She immediately looked away, with an oh-no look plastered all over her face. Soujirou stopped walking and turned to stare fully at Zheng. "Is there something you are hiding from Kakunoshin-san?" He asked, bluntly, knowing he had earned the right to.

Ming held a hand up to suppress whatever answer Zheng had in her mouth. "She speaks before she thinks," his voice was icy, "please do not take her words to heart."

Soujirou considered it. "At your request, of course," he then bowed and resumed smiling sunnily.

"Of course," Ming agreed. "Please, lead the way further. I am sure there must be many more sounds of nature that I have yet to be acquainted with."

Though Ming moved up, Zheng lingered behind. She gnashed her teeth in a firm line, lip quivering with unveiled anger. When she saw that Soujirou and Ming were about to move out of sight, she took a step up as well. But she soon stopped. Her two other companions ran up to her from behind, calling for her desperately.

"Zheng!" The bigger sized man said huffily, immediately when he felt Zheng was in hearing distance. His eyes were filled with fear. "It's him! It's Xue Dai!"

Zheng's eyes first widened, then narrowed. "What do you mean," she demanded in a soft, hissing voice. "Clarify yourself!"

The duo immediately stiffened in attention, their hands by their sides. Looking forward, the smaller man reported, "That other man in the hut just now, Zheng. It was Xue Dai! He said so himself! It's not just an uncanny resemblance! What should we do?!" The anxiety in his voice was evident. "What is he doing here? Is he going to kill us all for leaving the gang? He looked like he was, Zheng! He--"

"Be silent," Zheng cut the raving man off. Her face was calm and her voice was cold. "Xue Dai died when he abandoned us all those years ago," sudden anger flashed across her features. "Our biggest task now is to protect our new leader Ming from the machinations of the Japanese devils!" She spun around to face her subordinates fully. "There is no need to fear a dead man! Leave Yukishiro be! When the time comes..." a cruel, knowing grin marred her features, "...the path will be clear to us. We will know what to do with the traitor..."

Seemingly not new to this facade of their superior, Guang and Da snapped to attention again. "Understood!" They declared with loud, firm voices, making Zheng grin with much evil intent. She then turned towards the path again and began walking.

"Let's go," she gestured. "Ming is waiting for us." Glancing back slightly, she continued in a low, dangerous voice, "Make sure Ming hears nothing about Yukishiro!"

The two men gulped, nodded, and quickly fell into pace with Zheng's lead.

--

"Eeh..." Soujirou glanced around the mountain path he and Ming had just crossed. "...I can't seem to see any of your friends anywhere near..." He traced a finger over his chin, "...are you sure they're going to be all right? The mountain forest is rather complicated if you're not familiar with it..."

"They are all right," Ming spoke up from where he was resting, sitting on a huge root of a tree. "I can sense them nearby."

"..." Soujirou did not know whether to be impressed or afraid, for though he would not say he had the best instincts in the whole world, he was quite confident that he could at least feel the aura of three people who were somewhat nearby.

As if sensing Soujirou's hesitation, Ming smiled and continued, "My disability in the eyes has strengthened my other faculties very much."

Now that he thought about it, Soujirou was rather sure he had heard Usui say something like that before. "...you were not born blind, were you?" He asked, in a rare moment of Soujirou-straightforwardness.

There was an almost chilly silence after that.

"No," Ming eventually said, his smile warm enough to thaw the previously frozen atmosphere. "I lost it to a high fever when someone important left my life."

Soujirou's face was perfectly straight and unreadable. But the moment passed and Ming found himself the target of an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry," Soujirou apologised, "for not leaving your bad memories be."

Ming actually laughed. "Don't be," he said softly. "I never intended to forget those days."

Soujirou straightened himself, ready to ask the man if he would like to journey on, when the three others who were with Ming burst into the scene. "MING!" The girl immediately ran to where Ming was seated. "Are you all right?" She first bowed slightly at him, then kneeled down to take his hand, while asking. Glaring at Soujirou from the corner of her eyes, she asked loudly, "Did the dog there do anything to you?"

"Zheng, you will not call him a dog anymore," Ming warned with a frown on his face. Zheng was evidently unhappy about Ming's idea, so she made no noise to accept or reject the command.

"That's really all right, Ming-san," Soujirou laughed. "I've been called /much/ worst things by others before," he beamed. "Since all of us are here, shall we continue on our way?"

"Yes, please," Ming said, while standing up. He was flanked by the others quickly, not even flinching at the sudden invasion of personal space. "Please lead on," he invited Soujirou.

"Lead on to where?" A new voice called out from around the bend further up the path. The group immediately turned to face that direction, gasping collectively when Hiko slowly sauntered out from behind the foliage. He had a jug of sake in one hand and a cup in the other. After giving the crowd a sweeping glance, he sighed and poured some sake out from the jug to the cup. "I was wondering why there was so much noise pollution in the forest. So my wealthy client has decided to drop by for a visit!" He leaned against a tree trunk, gulping down the sake in his cup with one breath. "So, what may the matter be, Ming?"

"How dare you be so rude!" Zheng roared from Ming's side. Ming held a hand out to sate her ferocious temper.

"We are very happy to be able to finally see you, sir," Ming bowed slightly, "but we wish to speak to you urgently about something, and I had feared that you may not believe the matter if I had sent mere messengers, so I have come by myself."

"Thank you for your consideration," Hiko snorted, obviously not grateful at all, "So? What's that big and important thing you can't wait till delivery day to tell me about?"

"It's..." Ming paused, then tilted his head to where Soujirou was standing, quiet and unobtrusive. Hiko noticed this. He laughed out loud.

"What, are you worried about the little fellow?" He waved a hand mockingly. "There's no need. He doesn't even exist in society. What's more, he's gotten on the wrong side of the law too many times for even me to keep track of. Nothing he knows or says counts."

"Kakunoshin-san!" Soujirou pouted. "It was only a few hundred people," he scratched his cheek sheepishly, "...really nothing that fantastic."

The four strangers stared at Soujirou, wondering what the frail looking boy actually did to those few hundred people to warrant a such a serious deed of arrest.

"Anyway, whatever you want to say, you either say it now or go away," Hiko gestured dismissively. "I'm very busy at the moment." He turned, ready to disappear back into the forest where he had emerged from.

"Wait!" Ming called out to him. He spared Soujirou one last 'look', then turned to Hiko while saying, "Very well. There is just one request I wish to make from you, master Kakunoshin. I wish to bring forward the delivery of my wares by one week. All other terms and conditions remain the same."

Hiko was sipping his wine when Ming announced his changed condition, so he did not immediately respond. Once he finished his drink, he sighed from the alcohol slowly running down his throat. "...all right," he was saying, "I suppose I'm in no position to question you anyway."

Ming smiled rather diabolically. "Thank you."

"Hey, boy," Hiko shot a glance in Soujirou's direction. Soujirou nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Run back and tell the other one. Looks like he's gonna have to work harder now," the old master leered. "Is that all?" He then turned towards Ming, who nodded. "Okay. We'll deliver the stuff to you by next week then." Hiko gulped down one more mouthful of sake. "Now get the hell out of the forest. You're all disrupting the peace."

"Yes, sir!" Soujirou chirped in agreement immediately. The four guests were at an evident loss of words. But that was all there was to the meeting. For by the next blink of the eye, Hiko was gone from the scene entirely. "So, Ming-san, Zheng-san, Guang-san, Da-san," Soujirou took care to try (but fail) to pronounce their names. "Shall we return? It would be terrible if the sun sets before we see the house, because even I tend to get lost in the night forests around here!" He laughed at himself.

The four others were still staring at the area Hiko was last saw in, expressions varying between anger to confusion. Ming was the first to turn to regard Soujirou. "It is all right, Souji-san. We can find our way out by ourselves."

Soujirou was surprised. "Really?"

Ming merely nodded. "If you need to be somewhere, please go ahead first. I wish to speak with my men about something in private."

"Oh, of course!" Soujirou's tone contained embarrassment. He hopped on his feet and turned down the mountain path. "Thank you for dropping by, and please don't worry about the wares, because they'll be the best you've ever seen!" He smiled obligingly. "Until then, take care!"

Ming waved, but the other three kept their suspicions evident on their faces. Until Ming could no longer sense Soujirou, nobody made a move or said a word. Ming's face turned grave. "Guang, Da," he uttered softly, in his native tongue, "send out men to investigate that wanderer's background. Sweep through Azumamaro again to make sure there are no spies." He glanced in the direction which Soujirou last took. "Something about him makes me feel very uncomfortable."

Zheng glanced down the path as well, eyes narrowed. "Ming," she suddenly called out. The other three looked at her, even as her mouth curled up into a sadistic grin.

"Let me handle this."

--------------  
... to be continued  
30/12/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	43. 42: Strength

DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 42: Strength

"Oh," Soujirou greeted, upon seeing that his path downslope was cut off by the figure standing there. "Hello again, Zheng-san." He tilted his head. "Is there something I can help you with?"

A gentle wind rustled through the leaves atop the trees on both sides of the road.

For a while, neither spoke.

Zheng opened her mouth. "Yukishiro Enishi," were the first words out it, "was that man just now." Her voice was resolute. She did not phrase her statement questioningly.

"Oh my," Soujirou giggled, hardly showing a trace of surprise or awe in his features. "I guess you found out after all!"

The girl was suddenly angered by Soujirou's reaction, or lack thereof, to her announcement. "Do you know who he is?!" Zheng screeched, her overpowering aura shocking even a few birds into escaping from the canopies of nearby trees.

Soujirou slumped slightly, still smiling. "Yukishiro-san is Yukishiro-san. I'm not aware that I need to know anything else about him."

"You are a fool!" Zheng struck at thin air with her hands. "He will betray you when push comes to shove. You will be left to fend for yourself when things go wrong, because all he ever cares about is himself!"

At that, Soujirou burst out laughing. "Oh, oh my dear lady," he managed to say amidst giggles when his laughter simmered. "You have /no/ idea how right you are." He pointed a finger to the sky, "I've personally lost count of how many times exactly he's left me in the deep pit of trouble and expected me to climb out by myself!"

Zheng was agape. "You know his ways and yet you continue associating with him?"

"Sad but true," Soujirou beamed.

"You are insane!" Zheng gasped.

"Yes, I figured that out a long time ago," Soujirou immediately grinned. "But I don't understand, lady... why are you so agitated? I knew Yukishiro-san got into a lot of trouble with the local law, but has he ever been to China?" Soujirou skewed his head to look at Zheng questioningly.

This caught the high-strung girl off guard completely. Soujirou's expressions were earnest. Did the boy really know nothing about Enishi's controversial past in Shanghai? Had they really been talking about two different things all this while? Unsure and unwilling to divulge further information about herself, Zheng bit her lower lip and asked something else instead. "Does Yukishiro hold you in high regard?"

Soujirou's brain activity whirled to a stop. His smile dropped slightly, mainly from genuine surprise. "High regard?" He blinked.

"Did you not notice?" Zheng calmly pointed out, "You asked him to get the water for tea, and he did with no complaints."

"Oh, /that/," Soujirou quirked his smile so that it was lopsided. "...actually there's a reason behind that particular event..." he trailed off, laughing uneasily. Both wanderers knew that it was to cover over Soujirou while he pretended like he did not know about Enishi's Shanghai-based past. It was necessary. Enishi knew better than to try to go against the tide. The lesser the enemy thought they knew about Enishi's Chinese mafia links, the smoother the mission would flow. Enishi may have quite a big ego, but he also knew how to yield when the situation demanded it. Decades of wandering around with limited budget could do that to you.

"I have never seen Yukishiro do anything for anyone for any reason except his own whim," Zheng nevertheless said, gritting her teeth. But quickly, she stopped displaying anger. Instead, she relaxed in her pose and smiled dangerously. "I warn you, boy, that the higher he regards you, the easier it becomes for you to be targetted by those who are against him. Disappear from him at once, so that you may not be implicated!"

Soujirou laughed. He thought he had been laughing quite a lot that evening. "What do you mean?" He eventually said, managing to stifle his merriment for a while. "Do you mean someone is after Yukishiro-san's life?" He waved dismissively in front of his face. "The entire Japan police force, right? I know that already, lady. Kind of hard not to notice when you're being chased around the entire country by screeching men in blue!"

Zheng's face grew impatient for a while. "Do you also know that you are his greatest weakness?"

Slowly, Soujirou's giggles dissipated. He was slightly crouched while trying to hold his laughter just now, so he straightened himself. His smile was sincere, his face set against the mixed rays of light and darkness. "That's impossible," his tone was light, but serious, "Yukishiro-san has no weakness."

Zheng laughed under her breath. "You would know, wouldn't you?"

Soujirou continued smiling. Nodding. "And even if he had one," he wagged a finger, "it wouldn't be me. Because I," he turned, already beginning to head down the path. His head alone was facing Zheng, "am not weak!" Smiling and waving, he turned completely. "See you at Azumamaro!"

The Chinese girl let Soujirou walk away without another further word to him. As she looked at him slowly vanish into the shadows of the night, she allowed herself a wry smile. "He will fall..." she whispered to the stars above. "...Yukishiro Enishi will pay for his crime with the highest price he can afford..."

--

In the meantime, said Yukishiro Enishi was, at this moment, staring at the kiln. He had been doing it for a rather long time. He noted that the kiln was rustic, forged by hand with clay and bricks. It was simple, in that there were not outward design - not even the stroke of a painting brush. It was also very big, which was why he was thinking of using it to blast the few sets of clay he had been molding.

That is, if the person hiding inside would kindly get out to allow him to actually shove the wares inside for firing.

"Excuse me mister red-haired shorty hiding somewhere in there," Enishi stared at the gaping hole that was the entrance of the blasting furnace. "Will you get the hell out of there by yourself, or do I have to go in there and drag your sorry ass out for you?"

Silence reigned.

Enishi sighed.

"One..." The ex-mafia boss began counting, without any prior fanfare. His voice was calm, but it also sounded strangely diabolical at the same time. "...two..." He straightened and began walking towards the furnace with loud, deliberate steps. He had a fire starter in his hand. "...thre-"

A blur of black, blue and red dove out from within the furnace, rolling fiercely a few times on the ground towards Enishi. Enishi gave the blurred figure a sound kick, succeeding in stopping its progress. The upturned dust and soil cleared soon after. Kenji found himself trapped beneath Enishi's strong, unbudging foot, which was firmly planted atop the back of his shoulders. He twisted his head around uncomfortably. "Ehehe..." he had the grace to laugh sheepishly. "Hello, Enishi!"

"Don't give me that," Enishi stomped once on Kenji's back, causing him to yelp in pain. "What the hell are you doing here? Where's the old egomaniac?"

"AARGH!" Kenji shrieked. He tried to get up by pushing his hands against the floor, but Enishi's foot wielded much strength than both his hands combined. Therefore he fell back onto the ground, flat on his face. Figuring he was a lost cause, Kenji mumbled to himself, before pushing his face away from the ground, propping his head up with a hand, since that wast he furthest Enishi would allow him to raise from the ground without stomping him back down again. "Both of you tricked me!" He started whining loudly. "You said I could learn some fantastic moves from the old master... and you never told me it was the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu!"

"Don't be stupid!" Enishi stomped on him again, causing his hand to slip from beneath his chin and thus he found himself face-flat on the ground once more. "You think you can be of any help with those cat-and-mouse skills you have at the moment? You should be happy that the old guy even bothered to want to train you!"

"Yeah, but I don't want to learn /that/ sty--oof!!" Kenji's head met the floor for the third time that day, as Enishi moved his foot from Kenji's back to his head.

"That's what you SAY, you little bugger, but deep in your heart you really /want/ to know more, don't you?" He grounded his heel, succeeding in ruffling Kenji's hair. "It's written all over your damned face, midget! You're easier to read than an open book!"

"Who wants to know more about the stupid style of swordsplay that stupid man used to learn!" Kenji screeched at the top of his voice. "The stupid style that killed that stupid man, made my mother so sad... that swept my house into discord!!" He shook his head, which was now free. Enishi had long removed his foot from there, though he was also now sitting fully on the hysterical redhead's back, like it was a bench. "Not me! Not me!!"

"You sure have some pretty strong guts to be saying something like that," Enishi remarked, his calm voice contrasting greatly with Kenji's high pitched wailing. "I wonder who was the little idiot using Hiten style swordsplay on the alley battle against Jinguuji in Tokyo?" He could feel Kenji jump slightly. "You haven't forgotten Soujirou saw you there, huh? That boy can recognise a Hiten move from a mountain away."

"That wasn't Hiten!" Kenji grit his teeth, stuck his lower lip out and shook his head furiously. "Those were just moves Yahiko was always telling me about! I just improvised! That wasn't the Hiten! How the heck was I supposed to execute a Hiten when I've never been trained or even seen it in action before?! I was just-!"

"IDIOT!!!" Enishi grabbed Kenji by the back of his head, grasping a handful of hair and using it to help him shake Kenji's head. "Calm the hell down! I can't even understand half of what you're rambling about!" He shook Kenji's head a few times more, then dropped it like a sack of hot potatoes. Sighing, he stood, then kicked Kenji so that he rolled over and his face now glanced at the sky. "Okay," Enishi squatted down beside the rebellious looking Kenji and narrowed his eyes at the young boy, "/now/ we talk like the calm, sane people we are."

Kenji turned to look at Enishi. He stuck his tongue out at him. Rolling onto his feet, now that Enishi no longer had weight on him, he tried to make a mad scramble for the safety of the house. He failed. Enishi had him by the scuff of his collar before he could even yelp for help.

"Lemme go lemme go lemme go lemme go..." Kenji started to chant when Enishi hoisted him over his shoulder and began walking back into the forest, where Kenji had evidently come from. He kept his peace, determined to send the redhead back to where he knew Hiko was waiting at - the waterfall. Besides, if he used the blasting furnace as a hiding spot again, he was just going to start the fire without caring if Kenji was inside or not. Nobody distracted him when he was seriously trying to do something!

"Ara? Yukishiro-san? ...and Himura-san," Soujirou slowly materialised from the shadowy edges of the forest, his smile and step alike ghostly. "What are the both of you doing? Is Hiko-san back already?"

"The little fellow here," Enishi pointed at Kenji, who was still chanting away and struggling to get off Enishi's shoulder, "ran away from training!"

"Oh my!" Soujirou clasped his hands together. "Well, on the bright side, at least he didn't run away from home!" He chirped.

The silence that next filled the clearing was resounding.

"...right." Enishi managed.

"I dowanna learn from Hiko-jiji!!" Kenji finally wailed, when nobody else chose to speak up. "He's mean and a big bully and he never really teaches me anything anyway!!"

Soujirou laughed into his fist, while Enishi shook his head and put his free hand on his forehead. "So this is what it's all about?"

"I don't think so, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou walked up closer. "Come on, let the poor boy down," he suggested, gesturing at the ground in front of Enishi. Enishi stared at him questioningly, but eventually shrugged and put Kenji back onto the ground. The young boy had a shakey touch-down, so he ended up a heap of limbs on the ground instead. He gave a howl of unhappiness, flopping onto the ground spread-eagle. The two adults stared at each other, then at him. "What's wrong, Himura-san?" Soujirou eventually asked.

The boy flung his arms over his eyes. "Training sucks."

"If you don't train, we won't be able to bring you along anymore," Soujirou warned in a friendly voice.

This caused Kenji to sit up. "Why?" He questioned, eyes sharp, "You've been all right with it all this while. Why can't any of you train me anyway?"

"Hmm..." Soujirou rubbed his chin with his fingers. "...you want /us/ to train you?" His voice was hollow all of a sudden. "...I suppose if you really want to, we could work it out..."

"..." went Enishi. "...I'm not even going to ask if you were serious about that just now." He directed his disbelieving speech to Kenji.

Kenji puffed up, looking as if he was going to make another grand speech. But before he could, Soujirou had crouched to his level, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Himura-san," he asked, firmly, "what is it about the Hiten that you do not wish to train for?"

Kenji stared at Soujirou, then down at the ground. He seemed to be considering the question seriously, but could not find an answer anywhere.

While they waited, Enishi shifted about impatiently. Finally, he reached over and fisted the top of Kenji's head softly. "If this is about your stupid father again, don't even bother," he scoffed. "It's not worth your time."

"But I!" Kenji found his voice almost immediately after Enishi turned to look away. "I just... don't want to learn the same school of philosophy that led him to his death..." Kenji was glad it was dark, for the angered blush on his cheeks would have been fairly evident otherwise. He pouted, waiting for the lashing out from the duo that was sure to come. After all, even he felt that he was being too stubborn as respects the entire matter.

The 'lashing', as it was, turned out to be several loud hoots of laughter.

Or at least, Enishi was the one hooting. Soujirou was merely softly laughing away. Confused, Kenji stared at them, agape. Before he could turn his confusion into inquiry, however, Soujirou wiped a tear from his eye and spoke out. "Himura-san," he managed, in between giggling, "do you actually know what the philosophy of the Hiten is?"

The look on Kenji's face told him that he did not. "Wasn't it the same as that man's ideals?"

By this time, Enishi's laughing had simmered into amused silence. Soujirou himself was holding a hand over his mouth, trying to straighten his expression out. The younger wanderer donned a thoughtful look. "I would not advise you to jump to conclusions yet, Himura-san." He said, while nodding sagely. "You may be surprised at what the actual situation is."

Kenji remained unconvinced. "What exactly is it, then?" He wanted to know.

"Hmm..." Soujirou scratched his cheek. He looked troubled about something. "I don't think I'm in a position to tell you that, Himura-san. You should really allow the master to tell you that himself." He glanced to the dark, shadowy part of the forest boundaries. "...shouldn't he, Hiko-san?"

Kenji jumped in surprise, whirling around to look where Soujirou was looking. He had not sensed anyone else around at all.

At first, nothing happened. But slowly, the sound of feet shuffling through grass could be heard, until finally, Hiko stepped out of the shadows into the gleaming moonlight. He had the same confident grin he always wore, and his sake bottle and cup were where they always were; in his hands. He took a sip from his cup. "My wine ran out," he explained, nonchalant. "I was going to get a refill." Without waiting for either of the trio to speak, he whisked towards the hut.

In silence, they let him pass. Kenji had a frown on his face that told the world that he was unhappy about something. As Hiko took one step into the interior of the house, the boy could not hold his question back any further. "Is it true?!" He shouted, out of frustration rather than true concern. Hiko paused just at the threshold of the doorway. "Is it true that my father's philosophy was not the same as the Hiten's?!"

What proceeded next, was a silence, where nobody spoke or moved from where they were standing.

Until Hiko shoved the piece of straw acting as door to the house away.

"A sword is a weapon," he declared, loudly. Surely. "And kenjutsu is the art of killing." He paused. "That was what I always taught him. Of course, he obviously never paid attention." A cold wind picked up the fallen leaves on the ground and tossed them away with much rustling. "If that's not something you can swallow - you and your Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, then take your things and leave at once." The voice was stern. Concerned. "You're not going to be up against random boy scouts. I'd rather you give up now," he turned, narrowed eyes as if piercing through Kenji's soul, "than you die trying foolishly, without even /having/ the ability to fight back."

Kenji's eyes flashed. He opened his mouth to want to say something, but Hiko was faster.

"If you do give up, then... Yukishiro," he directed his next words to Enishi, who had been standing around, listening quietly all the while. Enishi blinked and threw Hiko an impatient, questioning glance. "Remember the deal." He smirked.

Enishi growled, and would have leapt and pounced had Soujirou not tug as his elbow quietly. When he turned to look at his comrade, Soujirou smiled and said, "Yukishiro-san. I need to talk to you about something," all the while gesturing towards another spot in the area that was rather far away from their current location. Enishi snorted softly, but followed Soujirou when he started walking away.

Neither gave Kenji a lingering look of any sort.

Not that he needed any, of course.

The youngest of the gang had his fists clenched tightly by his side. His head was bowed. His blood was boiling. Of course, he knew, that whether the mission could advance or not depended upon his decision. It was now clear to him by Hiko's words that Kenshin did not exactly abide by the philosophy of the Hiten. Kenji was, truth be told, very intrigued. But would it seem like he was yielding, if he agreed to train now? Would it make him look soft? Easily swayed?

...Weak?

The words of the stranger along the mountain path suddenly re-entered his consciousness. Kenji narrowed his eyes, a hint of gold appearing in them.

If there was one thing he would gladly sacrifice his pride for, that would be it.

Being called weak. Being treated like a common rat was of more threat.

A whole week couldn't possibly do any good, but Kenji was suddenly willing to try. He broke into a run, towards where he knew he had escaped from - the designated training area. The noisy waterfall and rather dumb looking cliff. He wondered briefly why Hiko favoured such a random location, but guessed he had his reasons. As he ran, his newfound conviction followed him.

As long as he got strong enough, they wouldn't keep him in the dark any longer.

As long as he got strong enough.

As long as he got stronger.

--------------  
... to be continued  
31/12/04  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	44. 43: Learning

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 43: Learning

"I wonder if Himura-san will be okay alone by himself?" Soujirou mused, while casting a symbolic glance over his shoulders. Enishi and himself had already travelled too far away from the workshop to be able to see what was going on there anymore. Further up ahead, said Enishi swept a few pieces of leaves away from a fallen tree trunk and sat himself down on it. He did not appear to have heard Soujirou. Or if he had, he chose to let the question fly over his head.

"What did you need to talk in private about?" The older man immediately asked, upon having settled down to his satisfaction. He folded his arms across his chest and waited with his eyes closed.

Smiling, Soujirou turned back around, walking with small steps until he stood a few feet before the lounging Enishi. "Did you know," he began, voice purposely cheerful and smile purposely bright, "that Zheng-san has already found out who you are?"

Enishi opened his eyes to glance at Soujirou questioningly. Knowingly. He did not seem alarmed in the slightest bit. "How could you tell?"

"It wasn't very hard," Soujirou lifted a finger to point to the sky. "After all, she literally came up to me to try to warn me nicely that I should stay away from you if I didn't want to get hurt!"

The immediate look on the ex-Shanghai mafia boss' face upon hearing Soujirou's words was that of a cross between drop-dead amusement and utter disbelief. "She did." He deadpanned, face twitching.

"Yes, she did," Soujirou agreed.

"And you accepted her warning."

"Of course not!" Soujirou was immediately offended at the seeming slight of his intelligence. "How could I, a person who knows /nothing/ about your dark, exciting underground ex-Shanghai life possibly agree with one of your ex-Shanghai enemies that yes, you are a dangerous mafia leader much to be feared and avoided at all costs?" It did not help that Soujirou was smiling happily while saying all of that. "Though, just to be sure, I did acknowledge that your head is very much being wanted by the entire Japan police force, just like mine is!"

While Enishi tried hard not to tumble unceremoniously off the rock, Soujirou laughed to himself, holding a sheepish hand against the back of his head. Enishi quickly cleared his throat. "I wasn't really sure if it was a good choice or not to let them find out who I really am," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But this could be our wildcard chance for success. We need to play the game right from now on..." he trailed off, lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly remembering something, his head shot up, and he pointed squarely at Soujirou. "Hey, what else did that bad tempered girl tell you? Anything will do, even if it seems unimportant," he gestured. "What else did she say?"

Soujirou's first reaction was to blink. His thought processes suddenly kicked back into rapid action. "...anything?" He thought back about what Zheng had been yabbering about. "She seemed rather adamant about branding you as a traitor, though it looks more to me like they've branched out and set up another organisation separate from the one you were together with them..."

"Oh, so I've become a traitor now," Enishi grinned to himself. "Interesting." He glanced back at the smiling Soujirou. "What else did she say? Did she reveal to you what plan she had to plot my downfall and demise?" He sneered.

"Oh, come on, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou waved dismissively, "I'm sure the Chinese mafia is a lot more discreet than that!"

Enishi shrugged. "Are you sure she didn't say anything else?"

"I don't exactly have a photographic memory, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou put a finger to his forehead, bowing his head low to consider the encounter with the girl further. "She was really just ranting away about how dangerous you are; or should I say, /trying/ to convince me about how dangerous you are..." he trailed off. "...though I don't know why she'd make the special effort to do that..."

"If she could convince you," Enishi said, composed and sombre, "then there is a possibility that they can use you to exact revenge against the so-called traitor, since you just so happen to have some sort of a mutual relationship with that traitor," his explanation was methodological and detached. At the end of it all, he sneered. "Not bad for a last pitch attempt for a plan in the middle of chaos. They've all gotten more observant and sharper from since I last saw them."

"Now is certainly not the time to be admiring how well the seeds you have planted have grown, don't you think?" Soujirou scratched at his cheek.

"I'm just taking a page out from your book of optimsm," Enishi shrugged. He let his glance settle on Soujirou. "And are you really sure she didn't say anything else?" He paused. "Anything about her observations of this 'traitor'?"

A few seconds Soujirou spent thinking. Then a bright smile pulled over his face. "Nope! Nothing else!"

Enishi eyed his partner suspiciously. He decided that if Soujirou wanted to keep something a secret, he was probably in no position to ask. He then shrank back to ponder their options. "That doesn't give us a lot to work with," he mumbled under his breath.

From seemingly out of nowhere he produced a large sheet of paper that had been neatly folded for ease of hiding. He glanced about himself furtively, eyes eventually coming to a stop upon a huge, sturdy tree somewhere near his right. He stood and walked over, carefully examining the bark. Then, without warning, he drew his fist back and smashed an area of the trunk in.

Tree juice squirted about in all directions at the impact. When Enishi retrieved his fist, coloured sap began oozing out from cracked areas in between the tree's bark. Enishi went closer to sniff at the sap. He grunted something under his breath, then proceeded to dip his right index finger into some of the sticky sap. Once it was adequately stained, he turned and swathed the piece of paper in his hand with large, slow strokes of writing.

While he repeated the process, Soujirou watched on, his smile never once leaving his face. "Well," he eventually managed to say, "at least it's a better alternative than blood, hmm?"

Enishi rolled his eyes. He got more of the coloured sap onto his finger to finish a few more strokes. Altogether, they spelt out two words. 'They Came'. While he stared at his finished work, waiting for it to dry, he dug into one of his pants pockets and fished out a small, round and oblong whistle of sorts from it. Handing to Soujirou, he instructed, "Use it."

"Oho?" Soujirou took the whistle and examined it carefully. His confused smile slowly melted into a knowing one. "I've seen this thing before!" He exclaimed, abnormally happy over a matter Enishi thought was rather slight.

"Congratulations to you," the white-haired man cheered monotonously. "And so are you going to use it anytime soon?"

"Of course, of course," Soujirou held the whistle in his hands and blew into it. No audible sound came out of the instrument, but Soujirou and Enishi knew better than to assume. Once Soujirou lowered the whistle to indicate his job was done, they both waited, knowing their quarry would come.

"What are you going to inform Shinomori-san about, though?" Soujirou mused aloud. He returned the whistle to Enishi, who was now folding the piece of paper he had written upon. "We were told not to use the pigeon whistle unless in cases of real emergencies."

After having folded the paper into a tiny square, Enishi now took to rolling it up. "He needs to know that his plan worked," was Enishi's response, although he did not look at Soujirou in the eye, preferring to concentrate on rolling the paper into a tight wad. "...he set up a trap of sorts for the Yuugure and asked me to inform him immediately if they popped by the workshop when we're still around. I'm just fulfilling that part of the deal. Everything else is his call."

There was awkward silence.

"Oh." Soujirou blurted out at last.

"Mind you, this was entirely his idea," Enishi reared back and clarified the situation slightly, the lack of response from Soujirou's part making him uncomfortably aware of the conversation they had just had some time ago by the cliff side. "He hardly needed to have said it, but I know he wanted to see just how far removed I really was from the current Shanghai underground," the man snorted. In the distance, the soft flapping of wings started getting louder and louder. "As to the details, I'm sure he will have something to say, once we arrange to meet him at Azumamaro," Enishi looked into the sky, where the carrier pigeon was slowly but surely flying into sight. "Because even /I/ don't know what exactly is going on, on his side. And I would rather not second-guess."

"I see," Soujirou blinked, the heavy tension in the air slightly eased. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into loud, short chortles, not stopping until his breath caught in his throat and he had to revert from laughing to coughing.

"What's so funny?" Enishi, however, was not amused. He looked at Soujirou, demanding an answer, cross.

"Ahaha..." Soujirou half-coughed and half-laughed. "...the... mere thought of you and Shinomori-san... working /together/ on something..." he simmered down, but was still giggling, "...it... it scares me." He grinned widely, looking much more amused than scared. "Completely out of my wits."

"I don't see what's so scary about that," Enishi murmured to no one in particular. He had caught the pigeon, which had finally arrived and landed on the ground in between Soujirou and Enishi, pecking at the ground and cooing away. Stuffing the rolled up piece of paper into the tube tied to its feet, he sealed it carefully, then set the pigeon free into the skies once more.

The duo watched the bird take off into the distance, until it was no more in sight. Enishi was the first to look away from the sky, sighing softly and turning, meaning to walk down the path back to the workshop. "Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?" He directed his query at Soujirou, who was slightly startled. He had been staring at the skies, apparently deep in thought.

"Mmm... not that I can remember, but thank you for asking," Soujirou bowed slightly, and Enishi turned to walk away. He knew Soujirou was hiding something, and he also knew better than to insist and interrupt the boy when his head was somewhere else up in the clouds. "I'll be at the workshop," Enishi offered, "in case you change your mind."

Soujirou turned abruptly. "There really is nothing else important to tell you about, Yukishiro-san."

"Not to you, maybe," Enishi shook his head. "Anyway, do us both a favour and go check out the redhead and muscleman, will you?" He gestured in a random direction. "Especially the redhead. I know he wants to come along for the final showdown, but I don't need to carry a weight around on the most important leg of this mission. Make sure he understands that," he sneered, turning to walk away at long last. As he did, he held a fist up in what looked like an acknowledgement of sorts. "Thanks." He muttered. And let the wind carry his voice to his partner.

Soujirou stiffened instinctively - this he did every time he saw or heard Enishi do something uncharacteristic. Then he figured that he rather liked the way Enishi was being uncharacteristic now, and so he relaxed and smiled from ear to ear. "I can't believe it took me so many years to teach you that simple word, Yukishiro-san!" He held a finger up. "Shall we learn 'please' next?"

".../PLEASE/ shut up before I throw you over the cliff."  
****

--------------  
... to be continued  
6/1/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	45. 44: Impasse No More

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

------------------------------------------  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
------------------------------------------  
Chapter 44: Impasse No More

Soujirou's smile was forced as he walked towards the calm master who was sipping at his wine nonchalantly. He found the self-proclaimed genius at a large clearing that was quite a distance away from the waterfall.

Night was falling.

Hiko was alone.

The wanderer had been trying to find the duo for a few days now, but every time he latched onto their aura of presence, they would suddenly shift to another spot in the forest. It was unnerving, and Soujirou did not understand what they would be doing it for. Camping outdoors for such a long period of time while playing hide and seek with potentially dangerous foes always unnerved him. "Where is Himura-san?" He settled for asking a more simple question. "Did he run away again?"

Hiko finished the cup of drink in his hand. He stuffed the small cup back into his cloak and gathered the sake bottle sitting on the ground. "He should be here soon," he smirked at the wanderer, who was nonplussed.

Then, before either could say a word further, there was a rustling of leaves from somewhere northwards. Soujirou immediately tensed and hovered his hand over his weapon instinctively. The nostalgia of feeling comfortable cool metal sheath and hilt beneath his fingers did not strike him as odd.

Like he had been using a metal blade all his years of wandering, instead of modified bamboo.

The rustling noise became louder. Finally, a dark figure tumbled out from the thick undergrowth into the clearing lit by moonlight.

Soujirou gasped upon recognising the newcomer, who was panting hard. "Himura-san?"

But Kenji had his attention on something else. "You!" He pointed at Hiko. Then he looked at the sky, and counted off his fingers. "Okay! I'm here within the stipulated time! Let's have another match!"

"Very well," Hiko concurred without much of a protest or fight, much to Soujirou's surprise. Enishi and himself had to resort to much begging and bribery alone to engage the old master in even one friendly spar. Looking at Hiko saunter towards Kenji with a rare spring in his step, Soujirou was almost sure that Hiko was rather /happy/ to be sparring with the boy, whom he was sure - no offence intended - was anything but a good challenge.

Slowly, the wanderer smiled to himself. A master was only true when he demonstrates his ability to spot and develop latent talent in seemingly rough pieces of raw material.

Hiko was a true master.

And so Kenji must be an uncut stone of true calibre.

He sat down on the spot where Hiko had been sitting on, watching with vague interest as the old master proceeded to trash the living daylights out of the young boy, while at the same time giving him pointers to improve his stance, attack and defense. He almost laughed at the speed in which Kenji was losing, but was amazed at his tenacity and perseverance. In the few minutes of blurred fists and swords that happened, Soujirou could see a marked improvement in Kenji's form, although he still had a long way to go.

The wanderer's upturned lips slowly thinned into a straight line. He propped his head up on a palm, eyes never leaving the scene before him. Finally, Hiko tripped Kenji and the boy fell face-first onto the ground. Hiko then proceeded to say something that Soujirou could not hear. In the next moment, the master had rapidly disappeared into the trees, leaving behind an injured Kenji on the ground, breathing hard, as well as a rather taken aback Soujirou, gaping like a goldfish.

The wanderer immediately got to his feet and followed Hiko's lead, trying to locate where Hiko's presence felt the strongest. He spared a glance backwards while he pursued, at the young Kenji, who was just climbing slowly to his feet, wiping his face free of grime and blood. He knew Hiko's teaching methods were rather unorthodox, but he decided he was in no position to interfere.

Enishi had warned Soujirou many times that he should mind his own business if he wanted to stay alive a little longer. For once, Soujirou decided that he would heed the older person's advice. After all, he was just here to observe. Slapping a smile back on his face, he continued trailing Hiko.

Summer was ending. It would be getting colder soon.

--

It was much later that same day, that Enishi found himself watching the flames dance about in the interior of the kiln. They licked at all corners of the baked insides, sometimes extending its tendrils of light and energy to the outside, whenever it found an opening that would allow them to do thus. They made a strange but familiar, noisy but nostalgic crackling sound. Averting his eyes for a while, Enishi ran a hand through his hair.

The last time he had to watch a bonfire in the wilderness like this, was when that utterly silly Soujirou fell into the river to save a cat and as a result got himself very sick. They never usually used a bonfire if they could help it, especially at night, since it attracted way too much lawful attention than they needed. He scoffed to himself, remembering how Soujirou had smiled the entire way through his fever. Then the next day the boy was okay. Enishi socked him good in the jaw for that particularly stressful incident. He was good at making people sick, not healthy.

The flames slowly converted into soot and smoke, rising towards the heavens, thinning out and disappearing into the clouds. Enishi stared, his mind racing ahead of him. He remembered sitting down and watching large things burn like this before. It was when he set his foster family's house on fire - after their death and after his inheritance of their massive fortune. At that remembrance, he chuckled to himself dryly. That was a huge bonfire all right. He had been seated upon the cemented walls of the building, watching the entire house go up in flames - laughing sinisterly and reciting Chinese idioms while he was at it.

That was the first time he met the four of them, wasn't it?

Enishi shifted, so that he now glanced at his feet. There was a pile of wet, mouldable clay which he had set into the shape of a rectangular plate. He withdrew his sword from its sheath, realising that his hand was moving before his mind did. The tip of the blade touched the clay, and he began writing letters upon the surface, without knowing why. "Guang... Ming... Zheng... Da..." He mumbled under his breath as he wrote. A wistful sadness flickered over his eyes. But only for a while. Finishing the final stroke, Enishi sighed and relaxed. Not two seconds after he had done so, he tensed again. A shadow stretched from the forest boundaries to slowly fall upon the clay tablet he had been writing on. That, coupled with the sounds of rustling grass, indicated that someone was approaching.

"Light... bright... right... might?" Soujirou read out loud, staring at the words Enishi had carved into the plate of clay. He then stared at Enishi. "Fancy you practicing kanji-writing at a time like this, Yukishiro-san!"

Enishi remained surprisingly calm despite the millions of retorts that were sounding in his head, waiting to come out of his lips. He gazed at the plate again, tracing his fingers over the freshly carved words.

"An idiom isn't meant to be read literally." Enishi mumbled. "This whole thing comes together to mean 'above and overboard'. Was the first Chinese idiom I ever learnt in Shanghai. And they were all there, all four of them..." he contiued vaguely. "Funny how core members of an underground syndicate would resort to giving themselves callsigns of righteousness, huh?" He snickered darkly. The clouds gathered, and the moon was covered, leaving the clearing to bask only in the glow of the fiery kiln. Suddenly serious, Enishi turned to Soujirou, face straight. "How's the red doing? Good enough to go?"

Soujirou smiled and tilted his head in a direction. "Will anything I say affect what you have already decided to do?"

Enishi stared at him levelly at first. Then he snorted and turned away. "I'm glad you're at least clear on /that/."

Soujirou said nothing. He walked to where Enishi was and sat down beside the man. "When are we moving out to Azumamaro?"

There was a short silence. The crickets suddenly sounded very loud.

"Tomorrow morning. We'll be meeting up with Shinomori and Saitou once we locate the dungeon entrance."

The younger wanderer's shoulder slumped slightly. It was hardly visible, but it was there. "So we're at the end of our journey?" The sentence came out almost as a whisper. The wind blew. The fire burned faster.

Enishi did not answer.

"These past few months have been really fun!" Soujirou's voice was cheerful. He straightened himself and turned to the quiet Enishi. "But how do you feel, having to fight against your former friends?"

This stirred Enishi to muster a response. "I never had friends." There was a short pause. "It's an overrated word you can't afford to have in underground Shanghai anyway," he snorted.

"Well, what /do/ you call friends in Shanghai then?" Soujirou pressed on, still smiling. He drew his knees up and rested his cheek upon them, looking sidelong at Enishi while he was at it. "Comrades? Brothers-in-arms?"

"There is no such concept in the bang pai - the gangs, despite anybody's best interests," Enishi shrugged. "They say they'll stick to you. Swear with blood that they'll watch your back, but when someone waves a wad of cash in front of them they run away like gullible puppies." A sardonic smile decorated Enishi's face. "It was kind of interesting to watch, but very inefficient for an organisation."

Soujirou stared at Enishi for two seconds, before bursting out laughing. He ignored Enishi's offended look of query, waiting until his laughter had simmered before venturing to say anything. "Yukishiro-san," he had his usual cheer in his voice, but something was different, "whether you like it or not, or whether you treat them well or not, there will /always/ be people who will want to stick around no matter what happens!"

Enishi wanted to scoff, loudly. "Like you, huh?" He muttered, eyes on the ground, on the plate of clay he had been carving. He picked up a small, sturdy twig and began to write something else on the soft matter.

"Like our four visitors from the western mainland!" Soujirou continued seamlessly, without any indication as to whether he heard Enishi's mumbling. "Did you notice? Your name still rings a bell deep in their heart! It looks like you are still dear in their thoughts after all these many years!"

It was Enishi's turn to laugh out loud. "Dear in their hearts?" He shook his head, snickering. "Fear, more like it." He grinned. "I ruled my gang with an iron fist."

"Yukishiro-san, you're not very observant, are you?" Soujirou pouted slightly while explaining. "You're confusing fear with respect. From what I have seen of the four visitors - Guang-san and Da-san aside, Ming-san and Zheng-san appears to have quite a lot of respect for you, you know!"

If Enishi could deflate, he would have. "Oh, really?" He mumbled. "How very amusing that you would claim that hot-tempered girl to have respect for me when she was trying to warn you that I am the most evil thing to ever walk Japan since Oda Nobunaga."

"Well, Yukishiro-san, liking and disliking a person are both intense feelings one can bear towards someone, that involves thinking endlessly about said person in either fluffy daydreams or late-night voodoo rituals." He smiled, even as Enishi's face turned dark with disgust. "In Zheng-san's case, I can sense that she really does hate you! Although she also has some sort of a grudging regard. Strange, but absolutely true!"

"Probably only because of Ming," Enishi sighed. "That girl's been head-over-heels in love with him ever since I can remember."

"What has that got to with anything?" Soujirou was amused. Again, Enishi sighed.

"Ming served under me as a sort-of right-hand man," the former gang leader explained in a voice that made it apparent that he would rather not be explaining anything at all. "Zheng was always hanging out around him. And he made sure to at least remind her once a day to respect the leader, blah blah blah. So if she /does/ have any inkling of respect for me, Ming must've rubbed off on her."

Soujirou gave a low whistle of appreciation. "Isn't it strange that someone who served as your somewhat right-hand man would leave the organisation you built to set up his own... dealing with, I think... the same kind of underground activity?"

"That's why I said," a flicker of what Soujirou thought was hurt flashed by Enishi's face for a split second, "that there is nothing in this world to be trusted. No friends, no comrades, not even relatives," he laughed. It was a cold laughter. "Nothing." He stood up. "...we'd better load the things that are ready into the cart first. We can do the rest tomorrow morning before setting off." The note of finality in his tone indicated that the discussion was over.

As he began moving away, he could hear Soujirou getting to his feet as well from behind him. "Yukishiro-san," the younger wanderer's voice was soft, but firm, "you have a bad habit of waiting until you lose something to realise how important it actually was."

There was a tensed silence.

"Your point being?"

Soujirou smiled, giggling lightly. "Even though they may be enemies now, they still were your friends, who seem to hold you with some form of fear and regard! So don't do anything to them that you'll later regret!"

Enishi took a few seconds to clamber up from the floor, his response to Soujirou's completely off-topic remark being that of a bodyfault to the ground. He harrumphed loudly, then proceeded to stomp off into the distance, deciding that it would not be worth the effort to give Soujirou a verbal reply.

"See you tomorrow!" Soujirou waved and cheerfully chirped relentlessly. When Enishi vanished completely from sight, Soujirou transferred his gaze to the skies, where the moon and the stars were. "For better or worst," he smiled at the luminaries, "it all ends tomorrow!"

A distant star twinkled.

And fell, plucked from the inky skies, in flames.  
****

--------------  
... to be continued  
19/1/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

i had a deal with sasori that chapter forty four would be yet another crack chapter. well, but as you can see, it fell through. but don't worry. XD will feed you all with crack. soon. ka ka ka ka ka! 


	46. 45: The Beginning of the End

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

———————————————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
———————————————————————————————  
Chapter 45: The Beginning of the End

Soujirou was surprised, when he returned from washing up at the river the next morning, to find that there was a lot of neighing and stomping sounds coming from the general area of the workshop.

He ventured bravely towards the workshop in a fit of curiosity, and was not overly surprised to see several horses there, grazing. The by-now familiar figure of Guang stood stiffly under a tree, apparently overseeing whatever work was going on here. Soujirou noticed that part of the forest that surrounded the workshop was now gone, having been razed to the ground by something forceful and sharp. He felt a twinge of annoyance at this, even as he slowly put the pieces together. The Chinese had come for their goods, obviously, but to transport the vases swiftly, they probably had to use massive horse carriages. And to allow the carriages admittance into a forest as thick as this, meant that a path had to be cleared for them. Not that it was any business of Soujirou if they wanted to deforest the entire Kyoto outskirts, but this was certainly an uncomfortable method to him, no matter how he tried to justify it.

"Good morning, Guang-san!" The wanderer nevertheless greeted cheerfully. The tall man's shoulders jerked in surprise, and he shot Soujirou a glare. Evidently, he had not sensed Soujirou's presence prior to his greeting. Unfazed, Soujirou stepped into the clearing, where more than half the vases were already gone. Enishi was understandably nowhere in sight. "What's going on here?" Soujirou asked, turning to smile at Guang.

Guang mumbled something under his breath for a while. When he saw that Soujirou continued to shoot him an expectant glance, he straightened slightly. "We moving vases ourselves," he grunted. And that was all he was willing to reveal.

Soujirou continued smiling, although he was doing mental cartwheels of confusion internally. This certainly meant that much of what they had planned for today was not going to be smooth sailing. If they were unable to follow them right to their hideout, the police would not be able to offer much support anymore. Did Enishi already anticipate this? Was there a back-up plan they would be following?

"Well, it must be very tough work doing all of that by yourself!" Soujirou suddenly felt like leaving immediately to search out for his ever elusive partner. But he had the feeling that he could learn more if he stayed on just a while longer. "Do you need any help?"

Guang shot him a sidelong glance. He did not reply.

"Guang-xiansheng" A loud and cheerful voice suddenly drifted forth from somewhere down the path. Soujirou perked up slightly. He had heard this voice before. "I've cut out a wide path out for you and your horses!"

The tall Chinese man snorted something in acknowledgement. Soujirou stared at the freshly cut path, noticing that the owner of the voice was slowly but surely coming into view. As he stared at the face of his long-time friend Kamatari, he would have gasped and ran up to him to share some greetings, had he not been aware that the enemy was also with them. He kept his smile plastered on. "Good morning!" He greeted generically.

"Good morning to you too!" Kamatari greeted back smoothly, as if this was the first time they were meeting one another. He scrutinised Soujirou carefully, before turning to Guang. "Did you employ someone else without telling me? Are you going to split my wages?" He questioned relentlessly. His eyes were flashing.

"Calm! Calm!" It was amusing to see Guang being flustered for once. "No sir, he is not anything. He only just staying here. No split! No split!"

Kamatari relaxed slightly. "Good," he wiped some imaginary sweat off his brow. In the next moment, he bounded up to Soujirou and smiled very widely at him. "Hello there, how do you do? My name is Kamatari and I specialise in destruction. If you need to destroy anything or anyone, please feel free to contact me!" He smiled radiantly, before pressing a piece of paper into Soujirou's hands. "My services are /very/ affordable," he winked.

"Of course, of course," Soujirou smiled back, gripping the piece of paper firmly in his hands. "Would you like to come in for a cup of tea? Destruction seems like an awfully tiring task!"

"No thanks!" Kamatari skipped backwards and waved his hand good naturedly. Got a few more trees to hack down further down! Remember to give me a call if you need to destroy stuff!" With another skip, he was on his way back down the path.

Soujirou stared, until Kamatari's long shadow disappeared over the nearby horizon. He turned to Guang. "Cheerful fellow you've got there, haven't you?" He did not wait for Guang to reply with grunts and snorting this time, choosing to walk away instead. "Well since you apparently don't require my assistance here, I'll be at the main house, making some tea in case any of you change your minds about the treat!" He raised a hand in farewell and began walking away.

He was aware that Guang's glare bore at him from behind every single moment, until he walked out of sight. But he did not let it bother him. For now.

———————————————————————————————

"Hiko-san!" Soujirou chirped, when he entered the main house to find Hiko sprawling across a long crate, sipping his sake. Somewhere from a corner of the room, Kenji was snoring, loudly and noisily. Soujirou found himself staring at the sleeping boy without really wanting to. "Drilled him thoroughly, didn't you?"

Hiko opened one eye. "If he can't even survive a training of this level, he's not going to survive going anywhere near the members of that criminal organisation."

"That seems true," Soujirou smiled, making himself comfortable by sitting on the floor, cross-legged. He unfolded the piece of paper Kamatari had give him just now. "Have you seen Yukishiro-san anywhere around?"

"I haven't seen him for a long time, if you must know," Hiko sipped from his cup. He pushed himself off the crate so that he was now seated instead of lying on it. "He'll show up when he feels like it. I wouldn't think a hole through my head over it if I were you."

"Frankly, neither would I," Soujirou agreed, eyes darting from side to side while he read what was imprinted on the paper. When he reached the last letter, he sighed softly. "Well, it looks like Saitou-san and the Oniwabanshuu have gotten a step ahead of the Yuugure, who thinks they have gotten a step ahead of us." He glanced up, to find Hiko staring at him, evidently for an explanation. "The people of the Yuugure apparently have a bit of history with Yukishiro-san," Soujirou began, rolling up the piece of paper and setting it aside. "Not a good history either. Anyway, things happened and they found out that he's involved in this entire thing and are apparently now suspicious of us, so they have decided to move the goods themselves to probably avoid giving away their location. However-"

"However the Oniwabanshuu probably have already anticipate this move of theirs, and have collaborated with the police to ensure that whatever it is, one of the people working on this project will definitely know the location of the Yuugure's hideout, right?" Hiko completed Soujirou's thoughts for him, taking a huge gulp of wine from his bottle after he finished his words. Soujirou smiled.

"That's about it in a nutshell, Hiko-san," the young looking wanderer held a finger out. "Kamatari-san has even included the location map for us. He says that once we reach the marked spot, a contact will bring us to the actual location." He sighed in relief. "I'm glad all the work we've been doing these past few months have finally paid off!"

"Hmm..." A new voice - one that had not been heard since morning, entered the scene. Enishi emerged from the shadows of the back door and showed himself in a thoughtful pose. "So /that/ was what that guy was thinking of doing back then..."

Presently, all conscious beings in the room turned to look at him questioningly. Soujirou shook his head good-naturedly and stood. "Whatever it is that they have planned," he said, lifting his sword and securing it by his side with his waistband, "it doesn't matter. We'll proceed as what /we/ have planned, and I am inclined to believe that everything will work its own way out from there."

Enishi actually whistled. "Since when did you become so much more reckless and less naggy about details?"

Soujirou made a face. "I've been hanging out around you way too often, that's why."

"That's ridiculous," Enishi snorted. "I always plan carefully before doing anything."

"Not when it concerns a consequence of massive mayhem!" Soujirou pointed out, grinning while he did. Enishi was about to retort, but Hiko silenced them both with a loud cough.

"Sorry to intrude upon this absolutely charming conversation," he shook his head, "but there's something I must know." He glanced fleetingly at the duo, back and forth, but finally stopping at Enishi. "Will you be bringing the boy along?" He tilted his head towards the sleeping Kenji.

Enishi actually took a few seconds to ponder a reply. "I'm sure you already know the answer to that, Genius." He turned towards the door, ready to exit the room. "Come on, Tenken, we're gonna be late."

Hiko continued sipping his sake calmly. Enishi was already halfway towards the door. Soujirou stared at Enishi, mouth open, meaning to say something but not really saying anything. He then glanced sadly at Kenji, before bowing at Hiko. With a quick turn, he followed along his partner's footsteps, ready to get out into the open, and possibly to go kick some Yuugure butt.

"I may have had the same answer as you had to the question I just posed one week ago," Hiko suddenly spoke out, effectively stopping both Soujirou and Enishi before they could clear the door entirely. "...but this one week of training has shaken my belief in that answer quite a bit."

Soujirou's smile was momentarily cancelled. "Hiko-san... you mean to say..." he let his question trail, very very quietly.

"I mean to say," Hiko's voice boomed around the hut authoratively, "that yes. Bringing Kenji along will not be as useless as you may have initially thought. He may not be as fantastic as the both of you, but his natural flair and enormous potential will be your wildcard to certain victory," he paused, "or-"

"Or certain doom." Enishi spoke, his back still facing Hiko. A short while later, he tilted his head slightly, so that he could look at the old master from the corner of his eyes. "Hah," he snorted. "A wildcard's better than the worst card in the lot, naturally, but why should I believe you?" He sneered challengingly. "One week of training can't possibly make any big difference."

"Ah, but you forget," Hiko struck a pose. "I am a genius." He smiled, and his teeth shone with stunning brightness. Soujirou even had to hide his eyes. "Geniuses can do many things in one week. Including converting runaway teenagers into a mighty warrior."

The words were spoken with such sterling conviction that Enishi found it hard not to twitch. "Very well," he eventually managed to say. "We'll leave the map here, since we don't need it anymore anyway," he nodded to Soujirou, who produced the piece of paper and put it atop a table, weighing it down with a candlestand. "Let's see if your little prodigy even wakes up in time in the first place then, genius!" The white-haired man smirked. "Let's go!" He barked at Soujirou, who simply smiled and followed Enishi out of the door.

Before the wanderer stepped completely out, he gave Hiko one last smile. "I'll be waiting for Himura-san!" He assured. "Please try to get him to wake up soon!"

The piece of cloth flopped and covered the doorway completely. When the wind blew, and the cloth was pushed aside, the figures of Soujirou and Enishi were no longer there.

Hiko took another swig from his wine bottle. "Don't worry," he spoke to no one in particular. "I'll make sure of that."

———————————————————————————————

Two flashes darted in and out of the thick foliage surrounding Kyoto, both clear on their destination. There was silence, except the occasional rustling of leaves and cloth when they moved quickly and quietly across the rough terrain. In just a short while, the trees began to disperse, leading them into the backyard of a small-scale temple. It was only when the duo touched down on the weathered tiles of the yard did their identities become evident to any who were looking.

"This is the place," Soujirou looked around carefully, before nodding at Enishi. Enishi nodded back, also observing the surroundings. There was not a soul in sight or sound, not even the chirping birds or the singing insects. The wanderers eventually glanced knowingly at each other. This unnatural scene surely meant something.

It was then that footsteps could be heard coming in their general direction. The footsteps were slow and deliberate, echoing across the hollow place into their ears. Both warriors crouched and had a hand on their weapons, both ready for the worst.

It proved to be unnecessary. For it was Aoshi who stepped out of the darkened temple into the sunlight to greet them.

"You're both a little late," he began, with no introduction or briefing. He glanced around Soujirou and Enishi for something, or someone, who was not there. The sight of the Oniwabanshuu ninja made the tensed wanderers relax slightly. Aoshi was dressed in battle gear and had two kodachis sheathed on either side of his waist. Obviously, this was serious business. He eventually gestured. "Follow me."

Aoshi led the way into the deeper parts of the temple, slowly and calmly. As they walked through the intricate corridors of the abnormally quiet temple, Soujirou could not help but bring the silence up. "Shinomori-san," he asked, "why is the temple so quiet?"

The ninja stopped walking, but he did not turn around to look at the duo behind him. "It's because the Yuugure have found out about our original plans to sneak in unnoticed," he explained, surprising Soujirou and Enishi into wide eyes. "...and they are preparing to counter us with everything they've got."

As if on cue, something big and fearsome erupted from the paper wall beside the trio, crushing it into debris and shreds. This forced all three swordsman to jump clear from the corridor, and into the garden courtyard that was beside the house. A huge, shadowy figure stepped out from behind the broken wall, folding his arms into his sleeves.

It was Guang. With metal armour plates securely covering all parts of his body.

"This is as far as you will go," he grunted from behind his mask. He withdrew a wooden pole as tall as himself, pointing it at them.

After a short while, it was Enishi who pulled his sword out from its sheath. There was a huge, loony grin on his face.

"We'll see about that now... won't we?"  
****

———————————————————————————————  
... to be continued  
14/2/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

oops! looks like the crack won't be that high after all. :O please note that there will be _CHARACTER DEATH_ by the end of this story! sorry for the sudden announcement, but it may be required for character development. :( if you decide to stop reading because of it, thanks for sticking so far with me! if you decide to carry on, thanks so much for giving me a chance! onwards we move! 


	47. 46: One Step Closer

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

———————————————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
———————————————————————————————  
Chapter 46: One Step Closer

The silence that occurred immediately after Guang's entrance was thick and brooding. Only Enishi appeared as if he wanted and was ready to beat something up. Aoshi and Soujirou were comparatively relaxed, lounging somewhere in the background.

"If you want to go first and leave one person behind to fight me," Guang grunted monotonously, "I tell you is useless. Ming ordered us to shift entrance to dungeon so it is different from where your other friends are!"

"Oh, how thoughtful," Soujirou clasped his hands together. "That means that we shouldn't be wasting time here with you, but using our time more productively in the search for this new entrance, right?" He turned to face his comrades.

Aoshi nodded sombrely. "A logical decision," he remarked.

"Damn," Enishi lowered his sword. "And I really needed to trash something up, too."

Before either three of them could turn to walk away from the massive mafia man, however, said man slammed his wooden pole against the upraised corridor, driving a hole cleanly into the floor. "Even with three of you," Guang rumbled, "you will not find dungeon entrance by sunset. And then everything will be over." The huge man flashed a rare smirk at the trio, and it certainly looked like he had something big up his sleeve. "Cannons." The one word alone transformed the previously somewhat lighthearted atmosphere into that of shock and gloom. "Kyoto will be finished!"

All three warriors stared at each other, the urgency of the situation suddenly descending upon them with those few broken words. It did not seem like the man Guang was lying about it either. While the trio were still trying to resolve the questions in their minds, Guang pulled his weapon out from the floor and held it primed beside him.

"But Ming said," the big Chinese man continued, "if you fight worthy, then I will tell you where the entrance is. And maybe you have chance to stop us." He grinned. "But maybe not." Without waiting for a reply from any of the three, he swung his long, flexible weapon in the general direction of his opponents, who each took only a split second to assess the situation, before leaping clear from harm's way.

"I don't care about the entrance anymore," Enishi snarled. "I just want to beat this guy into bloody pulp right now." He sheathed his sword and charged at the man with his bare hands.

"That's excellent!" Soujirou grinned. He had yet to even touch a single part of his weapon, his hands being firmly folded within the interior of his gi since his arrival at the temple. "Being bloody pulp is at least better than being in ten bloody pieces all over the temple rooftops, right?"

From where he stood beside the cheerful wanderer, Aoshi twitched.

Enishi and Guang were further away from them, in a world of their own. Enishi was cracking his knuckles, sneering openly, while Guang stayed cautious, weapon outstretched and armour in place. "Fists only, sir?" He eventually quipped, when it became apparent that Enishi did not intend to use anything sharp. "I have gotten stronger since last time, Lao-da."

"I'm not your Lao-da anymore," Enishi casually disclaimed. He blew at a fist, then slammed it into his other palm. "But if you insist, then I should probably teach you a lesson or two in /manners!" He charged, faster than the blink of an eye. There was a loud metallic 'CLING!' when his fist met hard armour. It did not appear to have gone as well as it should have, however, as Enishi found himself bouncing backwards with a smarting fist. He stared at his sore hand first, then at Guang, poker-faced.

"I told you, sir," Guang smirked, "that I am stronger now."

A small trickle of blood began to run down Enishi's hand, until he licked it entirely off. He said nothing, rising to full height, aura blazing.

Somewhere in the background, Soujirou was scratching his cheek. He turned to Aoshi. "Wouldn't it be faster if we attacked him all at once?"

Aoshi was silent for one second. "That is true," he then replied, pulling out a kodachi from inside his sheath. He threw the other kodachi that was still in the sheath to Soujirou, who caught it wordlessly, nodding to show that he knew that he was supposed to watch it until the thing was over. "Soujirou, don't interfere for now. We need you for something else later," Aoshi commanded firmly, and the younger man blinked in initial surprise. But he could ask no questions, for the tall man was already walking forward into the fray.

Shrugging, the young looking wanderer relaxed and backed away to take shade under a conveniently placed tree in the courtyard. He leaned against it, watching the battle in the yard with mild, waning interest.

His real interest, was on the multiple sets of crossbows mounted beneath the tiles of the roof surrounding the courtyard, each tingling with awareness - loaded and ready to receive the command to fire with but a simple trigger or two.

———————————————————————————————

When Kenji woke up, the sun was nearly midway to the peak of the sky. All around him, there was nothing but the sounds of rustling grass and leaves. He sat up from where he had been sleeping the night before, rubbing his eyes. Looking around him, he saw that he was in the house, and he frowned. He last remembered being in the heart of the forest. He had been getting knocked out cold for the umpteenth time, right after seeing the smirking face of the old man Hiko.

The thought of his temporary master immediately annoyed him. He clambered to his feet and burst out of the house by its filmsy door, glancing all around. He could see the lone figure of Hiko imprinted against the horizon, a little further down a hastily cleared road, so he wandered in that direction. As he walked, however, he noticed that he did not remember ever seeing this particular path before. The stretch of road looked like a giant had descended upon the Kyoto outskirts and stomped hard on this area to clear out a flat path on it.

"Finally awake, huh?" Hiko's voice reached him before he even came close to the old master. He sighed in defeat, deciding to run the rest of the distance, which he did. When he came close enough, Hiko turned around and shot him a knowing smirk. The kind that irritated him the most. He made a face back, causing Hiko to smirk wider.

"Where's everybody else?" Kenji asked instinctively. He saw that Hiko had returned to looking down the path of cleared trees, and so he looked down as well. It was certainly a rather long stretch of road, possibly a convenient way out of the forest. "Did you do this?" He asked, half-amazed and half-offended. Hiko had certainly not struck him as the kind to do something so troublesome for a simple stroke of convenience.

"Of course not," Hiko raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He continued, "Those damn smugglers came and cut down all the trees so they could transport their stuff." He shook his head. "No respect for nature, young people nowadays!"

Kenji stared at Hiko. "What!" He suddenly leapt up and down. "Does that mean that Soujirou and Enishi are gone already!"

"Since the break of dawn, I believe," Hiko helpfully supplied. He took a swig from the bottle of sake tied on his hand.

"And you didn't wake me up!"

"What am I, your grandfather?" Hiko snorted. He gulped down another mouthful of wine. "What kind of a swordsman are you if you can't even wake up by yourself, anyway?"

Kenji growled. "But it was your fault I trained so hard that I'm still feeling pins and needles now!"

"It's your fault that you're so weak," was the cool retort.

"AARGH! Enough! Enough!" Kenji grabbed his hair in frustration. He stalked forward, turnning around to face the composed Hiko. "I'm going after them! You're not gonna stop me, are you?"

Hiko stared at the pouting boy for a short second. He snorted and waved dismissively immediately thereafter. "Suit yourself, greenhorn. But you do realise that there is a /reason/ why they had not intended to bring you along at all, don't you?"

"I...!" Kenji opened his mouth to give his convinced reply, but snapped it shut again. He looked at his feet. "I... I know..." He sighed. "I wouldn't want myself around either, if I were them..."

"If you really think so, then do both them and yourself a favour and don't go anywhere," Hiko pointed out.

"I never said that!" Kenji growled at the older man again, and Hiko had to admit that this particular stubborn streak was getting to be a rather familiar sight for him. He had no idea why he had such an effect on teenaged redheads. He just did.

"What do you really want to do then?" Hiko prompted, growing solemn. "You say one thing and want to do another. Make up your mind kid," he shook his head at the boy. "Or are you going to stand here all day being indecisive?"

Kenji's eyes narrowed in offence. He stood and puffed his chest out. "I said that I'm going after them, and I will!" He declared, once and for all. He stuck a tongue out at Hiko, whose eyebrow twitched at that particular action, and bounded down the path without a second word. "And I'm gonna win! And you're gonna have to eat your words about me! With chili sauce! And bottles of vinegar! And..." The boy's shouting trailed as he got further and further away.

Hiko watched, until Kenji vanished into a certain part of the forest. He slowly sipped his sake. A thought struck him, and he opened his eyes from savouring his wine.

"Oh no." He thought out loud to himself. "I think I forgot to give him the map."

A pigeon cooed in the background, and the sun slowly clambered to the highest point above.

"Ah well," Hiko shrugged. "He'll come back when he realises he's lost." He turned dramatically, striding big, confident steps back into the house behind.

———————————————————————————————

"Thanks Shinomori, but I don't need your help," Enishi sneered at the quiet man who had slinked into the heat of the battle without a sound. Aoshi glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, and he did not seem impressed by Enishi's acting tough.

"Pull your sword out and fight properly, then," the ninja stated. Enishi ducked, narrowly avoided being smacked upside the head by the long wooden pole Guang was waving around with expert ease. He gave the pole a firm kick, sending both it and its owner off balance for a while.

"Pointless," he spat. "You can't cut that pole up with a normal sword anyway."

Aoshi looked disbelievingly at the white-haired man, as if meaning to question if Enishi had just admitted he could not do something. By then, Guang had regained his balance and now swung the pole in Aoshi's direction, possibly hoping to catch him off guard. Aoshi merely turned his head around to face the attack, and brought his kodachi up to parry the pole successfully. For a few moments, it was metal against flexible wood. Aoshi was staring at the pole, assessing it. Finally, he tossed it aside, leaping slightly backwards so he was out of its reach. "I see." He muttered. "A pole of modified rubber, and not flexible wood."

"That is correct," Guang boomed, grasping the pole with both hands. "I can use it like a solid spear, or make it become whip!" He demonstrated his words by curving the long pole upwards, so that it struck at one of the tiles of the roof, making it explode into dust and fragments immediately.

This caused Soujirou to whistle appreciatively, clapping once. "Sawagejou-san had a sword like that before!" He chirped, not at all affected by the destructive qualities of the pole just extolled. His cheeriness got on the nerves of both Enishi and Guang, whereas Aoshi remained silently disinterested. "By the way, the sun is almost halfway to the sky!" Soujirou pointed upwards, smiling radiantly. "Keep at this rate and I think we /will/ see fireworks at sunset!"

"Dammit, can you just shut the hell up for one second!" Enishi glowered at his partner, who shrugged and returned to fanning himself with a huge piece of fallen leaf. Aoshi had already readied his kodachi and was charging at Guang with no mercy intended. Enishi shook his head and withdrew his longsword silently. "Game's over for you..." he whispered under his breath. His eyes seemed slightly distracted. And suddenly focused. He took a single step, then disappeared completely from sight.

Aoshi met Guang head-on first. The long, curving pole twirling around him, trying to get a hit on him. As seasoned Guang was with the weapon, however, he was not able to get it to do what he wanted. Although it was a highly destructive weapon, it was hard to maneuver. Aoshi thrust his sword in the middle of the whipping pole, catching it as it tried to bend away. He used the momentum to trap the distorted pole, twisting it such that it now wound snugly around the kodachi. Aoshi grabbed the tip of the pole, which was now wrapped all around his kodachi blade. He stared at Guang from beneath the shadow of his hair, taunting him to try something.

Guang tugged, but was unable to tug the pole free. If the pole had been weaker, or the kodachi sharper, then maybe he could have managed to sliced the wound up portions away with a bit of movement. But since Aoshi had tested that it would not happen, no matter how much tugging Guang did, the stick would not budge.

Not that he had time to try it anymore. A shadow darted out overhead from behind Aoshi, diving swiftly and mercilessly at the flabbergasted Guang. He let go of his weapon just in time to step back once, narrowly avoiding being decapitated. He quickly prepared to leap backwards, but by that time, the shadowy figure - Enishi, had stretched a long leg out, succeeding in tripping the big man. Guang fell sprawled on his back towards the ground, shrieking in pain when his heavy armour made the fall harder than it should have been.

Even before Guang could recover or roll away, he could hear the sound of a metal blade thrusting threateningly into the hard soil beside him. Looking first at the dangerous blade that glinted in the sun, hovering just barely above his throat, then at the grinning Enishi, looming over him, he gulped. Though his whole body - throat included - was protected, he could not help but feel nervous.

"So you've gotten stronger." Enishi was saying. "How much stronger?" His smirk stretched. "Have you been working on your speed? Your stealth?" The white-haired man plucked his sword out from the soil and swung it casually, flicking the dirt on it off. He stamped firmly with one foot on the fallen man's chest, then pointed the tip of the sword at his forehead. "Obviously you've not been working on any," the man remarked coolly. With a deft swipe, he dislodged Guang's helmet and sent it flying in the air. "How else would your armour be so easy to remove?"

"Lao-da..." Guang began, tentatively. Still afraid of something. The piece of headgear continued on its upwards descent in the air. Enishi did not reply to Guang. He did not even appear to have heard the man. His eyes were upon the helmet, which was now succumbing to gravity and falling to the ground. With strokes so fast that one could hardly catch them, Enishi sliced the helmet cleanly into shreds. He thrust his hand up into the metal that was falling to the ground in pieces, and retrieved a piece of white paper from within the falling rubble.

"Oh my!" Soujirou put a hand on his lips, suddenly understanding what Enishi was trying to do. Aoshi had finally untangled the flexible rubber pole from his kodachi and tossed it to a side, where it landed heavily on the ground but produced no sound. Enishi turned to look at Guang, his expression a cross between rage and frustration.

"Go back," said the white-haired man to Guang. "Tell Ming: that there is nothing in this world you know that was not taught by me. And there is nothing of yours that I cannot break. Not even..." He paused, aiming his sword at the pole that Aoshi's kodachi was unable to cut. He twisted his sword in a strange angle, and with great strength, slammed the sharp blade into the pole, tearing it into two. "...things you came up with by yourself." His point made, he lifted his foot up from Guang, who was paralysed with certain fear, and stepped aside. "Thanks for the entrance map." He stated, rustling the piece of paper in his hand.

By the time Guang snapped out of his reverie, Enishi was already moving off the courtyard, into the corridors within. Aoshi was somewhere behind him, and so was Soujirou, although the boyish wanderer was a short distance away from the other two. The trafficker cursed under his breath for his careless mistake. He struggled onto his knees, pulling a trigger box out from under a metallic pocket. "You all will die!" He snarled angrily, placing the box on the ground and punching it hard.

There was an instant click, which caused three swordsmen to stop immediately and two to heighten their senses for unseen assailants. For a while, the world seemed to be on hold. Time passed, and nothing happened. Enishi and Aoshi relaxed slightly, but still stared at Guang, who looked at them with confusion written over his features. Again and again he punched at the trigger box, trying to ignite something, but failing.

"Oh!" Soujirou suddenly chirped. "I don't suppose these belong to you?" He turned around, removing two thick bundles of lethal looking arrows from within his sleeves. "I found them mounted on crossbows under the roof tiles! Very dangerous things, these are!" He remarked offhandedly, tossing the arrows up into the air, pulling his sword out in two quick flashes to render all arrowheads broken and useless. The crushed projectiles dropped to the ground like dead flies. "You should really stop playing with these things," Soujirou smiled at Guang. "They could hurt someone one day!" He bent down to pick something up.

"Impossible!" Guang gasped. "You never moved from under tree at all!" He grit his teeth, knowing his game was truly over.

"But I guess you naughty boys won't really learn until you have a taste of your own medicine!" Soujirou was saying, completely ignoring Guang's distress. There was a single arrow that had not yet been sliced cleanly in half, and that was what Soujirou had bent to pick up. From his other hand, he brandished a crossbow he had not been holding before. "Hmm..." He loaded the arrow into the crossbow and examined the weapon. "...how do you use this thing? Like this?" He pressed something on the bow.

The arrow made a clunking sound. Then it shot out from the crossbow, before anyone had the chance to even blink first.

Slicing through the air faster than the naked eye could see, the stick found its target - the forehead of the frozen Guang, and smacked dead center. Guang shrieked like a little girl, then fell to the ground, unconscious from shock. Aoshi stared. Enishi gaped.

Soujirou went, "Oops!" and scratched the back of his head. He then brandished the arrowhead that was supposed to have hit Guang, but obviously did not. "Just kidding!" He dropped the point along with the crossbow, pouting "Never could figure out how all these western weapons worked!" He pointed at Guang. "But look at him! He got hit by just an arrow /stick/ and he fainted!" Soujirou giggled. "This is such a great way to start the day off!"

Aoshi repressed a sigh. He continued to walk towards the corridor, ignoring Soujirou's yelp of pain when Enishi's fist connected with the younger wanderer's head.

A silver fox scurried across the courtyard. But they did not see it.****

———————————————————————————————  
... to be continued  
17/2/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

**thanks to all your feedback regarding the scenario of a possible character death! i'm really grateful that you guys didn't take the announcement with offence! hee hee :hugz you all: please rest assured that i wouldn't write it just to deliver something shocking. if i had wanted to, i wouldn't have put out a warning at all! once again thank you so much for being understanding!  
**


	48. 47: Trapdoors and Tunnels

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 47: Trapdoors and Tunnels

Kenji sighed.

He was sitting beneath a huge tree, looking up at the cloudy skies, wondering what he was doing.

And wondering where in the world he was.

After his hearty and courageous declaration that he would make Hiko eat his words just that morning, the teenager realised that he was hopelessly lost, and in addition to that, that he had absolutely no idea where he should go to find the rest of his comrades.

He let his thoughts wander a bit, and for a while he considered finding his way back to Hiko's hut to ask to old man for directions. As soon as it crossed his mind, however, Kenji shook that particular option out of his head vigorously. He rose to his feet, suddenly filled with energy to go on again. He would show that smirking old man what he was really made of /without/ his help, too!

He took a brave step forward, gaped when he saw a flash of silver fur standing where his foot was to land, swerved, and crash landed into the tree he had been sitting under just now.

Then the forest was silent.

Eventually, Kenji peeled himself off the bark of the tree. He rubbed his smarting face doefully, muttering a string of indecipherable curses under his breath before peeking out from behind his fingers at the silver fox, who sat regally in the same spot, looking at Kenji somewhat expectantly.

Kenji sighed. "What is it this time?" He squat down to look at the fox in the eye. The fox remained unmoving, returning Kenji's stare. The redhead made a waving movement outwards. "Shoo! Shoo! I have no food for you!" He informed the fox.

The fox stood and pranced rather happily towards Kenji instead of away from him. Kenji shook his head, when the fox came just one step shy of touching noses with the human. He stood and turned his back on the fox. "I'm busy now and have no time to play tag with you. Go back to your den and hunt for some pests or something, okay?"

Before he had even taken two steps, the silver fox had bounded up from behind to block his way again. Kenji stopped, frowning at the fox. He folded his arms across his chest and relaxed, giving the fox an 'okay-what-now' look. The fox yipped once, very softly, and bounded off quickly to a certain tree somewhere nearby. From behind the trunk, the creature pulled out a thick parchment by tugging at it furiously. Kenji's curiosity was instantly piqued. He unfolded his arms and sauntered forward in a slow jog to where the fox was.

Upon sensing Kenji's arrival, the fox hopped away on its paws. The redhead glanced at it questioningly, then shrugged whatever doubt or question he had on his mind and reached out to pull the parchment away from the grass.

"Phew!" Kenji was quite disgusted at the amount of mud and soil covering the parchment, which had obviously been dragged a long way out. "Where did you pull this piece of junk out from?" He asked the fox, who tilted its head and twitched an ear. The boy nevertheless uncurled the ragged piece of cloth-like paper and placed it on the ground, looking at what was written upon it.

"Hmm..." He was initially very bored, for what he saw was a huge, rather intricate map of the Kyoto outskirts, where certain prominent mountains had been circled and indicated with an entire slew of Chinese words. Slowly, though, Kenji's eyes grew wide. He grabbed the parchment with both hands. "This map..." He gasped in disbelief. He folded it up faster than he had opened it, eyes darting around furtively. He needed to let Soujirou and Enishi look at this as soon as possible.

Scrambling onto his feet, Kenji blinked at his surroundings, confused once more. He suddenly remembered that he was lost in the first place, and had no idea where to go at all. He cursed and would have taken off in a random direction, had he not suddenly notice the fox was perched atop a fallen tree trunk, shooting him an almost beckoning look. Kenji stared at the fox. And the fox stared back. "Oh, what the hell!" The young boy threw his arms and common sense into the air. He broke into a run towards the silver fox, who, as soon as it saw Kenji coming, took off as well, running deeper and deeper through the unyielding forest.

/Still a long while more to sunset/ Kenji thought to himself. /I need to get there before then/

—————————————————————

"The tablet at the entrance of the temple is out of place," Soujirou remarked, when the trio eventually came to a stop, as indicated by the instructions Enishi was holding. "The words aren't facing the stairs," he continued, making a face of wonderment. As if on cue, Enishi looked up from the paper and glanced at the tablet Soujirou was talking about.

"This is the trigger," Enishi pat the tablet at the tip, once he finished his evaluation of the item. Then, without explaining what he meant, he gave the upright stone a rough kick, making it flip and return to its normal position with a low, rumbling sound. Soujirou went 'ooh!', but Aoshi remained unmoving. Enishi waited for about two seconds, closing his eyes as if trying to listen for something he could not otherwise hear if he had them opened. When he next opened them, they were clear and focused. He stepped eastwards, where a smaller house stood, comparatively run-down in its spot next to the grand temple hall. "Over here."

Neither Aoshi nor Soujirou had the time or chance to argue Enishi's decision. And neither of them really wanted to, anyway. They quietly trailed the leading Enishi, watching as he roughly tore the shouji of the small house down. Soujirou rubbed the back of his head in slight exasperation at his partner's demonstration of awesome destructive powers, but said nothing. Following the rest of them into the darkened room, the younger wanderer's first instinct was to cover his mouth and nose.

"Oh my," he quipped, none too pleased with what he was seeing. "I don't think anyone has been in this hut for the past ten years at least!"

"If they did, they certainly did not stay long," Aoshi agreed somewhat. Their eyes were getting used to the strange darkness, so he started looking around. Enishi was off to a corner, rummaging through a layer of books on a shelf. Deciding he was better off helping out than standing in the doorway and blocking the light, Aoshi carefully strode over where Enishi was, followed closely by Soujirou.

As soon as they came somewhat near the white-haired man, they heard a distinct click which resounded loudly through the room. There was rumbling immediately thereafter, as the shelf Enishi had been rummaging through began to move automatically to one side, revealing a blank brick wall behind it. Enishi stared at the wall for a while, then reached out to touch a particular brick, pushing it further in than it should have been able to be pushed. Immediately, a separation occurred between an entire area of bricks, and the wall turned inwards to reveal yet another darkened room. Both Aoshi and Soujirou stared at it, perhaps wondering if it was really safe to enter yet.

Enishi was the one who stepped in first. He felt his way around against the wall first, trying to find something. By the time he appeared to have found it, Aoshi and Soujirou had also already entered the hidden room. But they certainly knew better than to interrupt Enishi in his current state.

They waited. And were rewarded when a bright spark of light burst into their vision, lighting up the room completely, but also making the hidden door they had come in through close up again.

"Dark and creepy tunnel," Soujirou giggled. "Windy and wet, too!"

"This tunnel must lead us to where the others are," Aoshi offered. "The wind in this indoors location is a good indication."

"Let's just walk on," Enishi sighed. He was holding a fire torch he had grabbed off the wall, apparently also the trigger for shutting the hidden entrance. "This should be a one way road to wherever it is we should be going." He started to walk, not bothering to check if the other two were following as well. "And Shinomori," he prompted, "you could help us ease our boredom by telling us what you've been doing while we were snooping around the Hiten master's stupid workshop."

At first there was silence. Then, "Saitou wanted to mobilise the force immediately to stamp down the Yuugure, except that he had no concrete proof to his conclusion. But it seems like his idea of gathering evidence to incriminate means that he will slay them all first then collect the evidence from there." He paused to check if Soujirou and Enishi were still listening. They apparently were, so he continued.

"As at that point of time, even the Oniwabanshuu cannot really be sure where the real location of the Yuugure hideout is, we were unable to tell Saitou anymore than we could tell you. Although we knew that you would eventually trace the location of the hideout with Hiko Seijuurou's help, we had several other contingency plans in mind."

"And that was why you asked me to inform you immediately when people from the Yuugure show up to press for the goods?" Enishi interrupted. Aoshi merely nodded, keeping his peace for now. "One hell of a contingency plan that was, I must say," Enishi snorted. "I'm actually somewhat impressed."

Ignoring that half-hearted compliment, Aoshi said, "Of course, the police had their own plans in mind as well. I believe you may have seen Kamatari on your way down. That was Saitou's method of making doubly sure we knew where to find the Yuugure. As of now, Saitou, Kamatari, Chou and Misao are stationed where the entrance of the Yuugure hideout is. I believe we will see them once we get to the end of this tunnel, if what the man Guang was saying is true."

"But the fact that Guang-san was there to greet us," Soujirou asked, "means that the enemy already knows that we are here, right?"

"With a headquarters as big as this, you can hardly hide away from public sight for long," Enishi pointed out. "It was to be sooner or later that someone will stumble upon this place. I'm guessing they've given up trying to hide anymore and are instead openly challenging the local police force." A satisfied smirk slowly stretched across his face. "They've got some guts. Not bad... not bad at all..."

Aoshi and Soujirou could only stare at the mumbling man as they continued their walk, wondering what he actually meant.

In a matter of a short while more, Enishi held a hand out to indicate that the tunnel procession was coming to a halt, which it was. Aoshi was silent and calm as usual, but Soujirou kept squinting around the darkness, trying to see what was up ahead. Enishi turned and walked to the left, reaching out with fire torch in hand to touch its unused counterpart, hanging upon the wall. The tunnel now glowed with a lopsided light. Walking over to his right and touching the wall there, Enishi eventually found a second unlit torch, and lit it.

With this part of the tunnel wholly lit now, Enishi snuffed the fire on the torch he was holding out. He then tossed it onto the ground, not needing the item anymore.

"Wow." Soujirou smiled. "It looks like we've hit the end of the tunnel!"

"Wrong," Enishi shook his head. He gestured at the pile of uneven soil behind them, which Soujirou had thought to be a wall. "This was a tunnel turning, but it has obviously been sealed up." The white-haired man glanced at Aoshi from the corner of his eyes. "Does this place look familiar to you?"

The sombre man nodded, without needing to think. He tilted his head towards the space in between the fire torches Enishi had just lit up. "That is the door I came out from to lead the both of you here. And indeed, I remember coming from this path," he glanced momentarily at the blocked up exit, "but apparently you are right. Somebody has tampered with it." Enishi nodded in approval. But Soujirou was confused.

"What door?" He asked, innocently. He pointed at the inky darkness that was in between the fire torches. "I see nothing but darkness. Isn't this just another path somewhere down?"

Enishi sighed. He picked up a random large rock lying on the ground near him and tossed it in the air a couple of times, testing its weight and tenacity. Once satisfied with it, he took aim, stretched, and flung the stone in the direction of the darkness.

The stone hurtled obediently there, but instead of going through and being engulfed by the darkness, as Soujirou thought it might, the stone simply hit something with a huge metallic 'twack!', and then fell to the ground, bouncing twice. Soujirou stared at the stone. Then at the darkness. Then at Enishi. "I see." He smiled, but the smile was weak and somewhat embarrassed.

"Good." Enishi had already turned away. "Shinomori. You said you just came out from that door. I'm supposing you have an idea how we can get in, then?"

If Aoshi kept his silence any further, he would have blended in completely with the background. He shot Enishi a questioning glance, but nevertheless moved from ruminating while leaning against the cavernous walls. He approached the door, still unseeable in the darkness, and reached a hand out. Both Soujirou and Enishi watched with undisguised interest as he wound his hand around something that looked like a latch. "Here is how you open the door," Aoshi informed.

"A latch!" Soujirou exclaimed. "This means that we're not supposed to push, but pull the door, right?" He turned to Aoshi, who nodded.

"That can't be all there is to it," Enishi interjected. "What's the snag?"

"Nothing that serious, not to you anyway," Aoshi released the latch and knocked soundlessly on the door with his knuckles. "You may even like the challenge." His cryptic tone intrigued both listening wanderers. "This door," Aoshi stated, "must weigh at least 500 kilograms."

The tunnel resounded with silence.

Soujirou and Enishi were looking at Aoshi in absolute disbelief.

As expected, Enishi was the first to burst. "Five hundred kilograms?" He narrowed his eyes at Aoshi. "Do you know what you're talking about?" He advanced towards the stoic ninja, who refused to budge or give in. "How could you think of calling five hundred kilograms..."

"Yukishiro-san" Soujirou chirped and waved from where he stood with the opened door. "I opened the door!"

"...a /challenge!" Enishi snorted. "Hah! It's peanuts! See, even the Tenken can use his little pinky to open the damned thing. If /that's/ a challenge, then what's the real thing?" The ex-mafia boss sneered and stormed away. "Dammit! And here I was, looking forward to a /real/ challenge! Bah." He continued to murmur, stepping through the door Soujirou had opened. Soujirou continued to hold it, waiting for Aoshi.

Aoshi proceeded to give a small, long-suffering sigh. "I /told/ you this door would be nothing serious to you guys," he grumbled half-heartedly under his breath, turning and walking towards the door as well. As he passed through and entered the next room, he leaned against the wall beside the doorframe and crossed his arms. "Well, Yukishiro," He asked out loud, questioning the wanderer, who was staring at something with wide eyes and a tied tongue. "Is /this/ door perhaps worth being called a challenge, then?"

"What door?" Soujirou asked cheerily, stepping through the one he had been holding for the others. He released it, and the door slammed against itself with much grating and rumbling.

The room they had just entered was large and had an incredibly high ceiling, compared to the cramped tunnel they had been in just now. It was at least fifty metres tall, complete with solidifed stone stalagmites jutting out precariously from its roof, waiting to fall at any given time. This large room was brightly lit, the fire torches within shining with an uneasy glow.

Aoshi tilted his head slightly forward, to indicate to Soujirou what he was talking about. Soujirou obliged by looking further down instead of up.

And he had to suppress the gasp that immediately came to his lips.

At the other end of the huge, volumous room, was a door. But it was not just a simple door. It stretched the entire length of floor to ceiling, and was as wide as the right and left sides of this particular cave. It was obviously a stone door, judging by the nooks and crannies it had on it. There were also elaborately carved images of a dragon and tiger on each leaf of the door, dancing around each other in an eternal circle.

Only one thing seemed sure to Soujirou as he continued to scrutinise the humongous door, trying to make something out of it.

They certainly were not going to get through this door by a mere simple push or pull.****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
21/2/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

a/n  
the meiji introduced the metric system of measurements in 1891, therefore kilograms. 


	49. 48: Velocity Power

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 48: Velocity Power

"I see that you are back with the main players of this game," the unmistakable voice of Saitou could be heard from a dark corner near the foot of the door. He had been biting on the unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, which would explain why neither Soujirou nor Enishi had noticed him until he spoke. They had grown to associate the police chief's appearance with the thick smell of tobacco and a tendril of poisonous smoke.

Enishi raised an eyebrow and could not help but jibe, "Did someone finally decide to notice the smoking-kills campaign?"

The police chief merely shot Enishi a cool glance. "I frankly suppose that my personal habits have nothing /worthy/ to merit your honourable attention."

"Okay, okay," Soujirou waved his arms about, attempting to diffuse the situation. He had had enough of alpha arguing to last him the rest of his life. He understood the need to have an edge over the enemy with cunning and wit, but he certainly did not understand why his friends felt the great need to argue at least once every time they met. "Shall we put our non-existence differences aside for now and figure out a way to conquer this huge door for once and for all?" He asked, as sweetly as he could.

Of course, everybody currently present stared at him like he had been speaking in another language. Saitou flicked his unused cigarette onto the floor, and was about to say something when the interruption arrived.

"Yo, Saitou!" Chou waddled into view from somewhere. Despite being brightly lit, the huge room had more hiding places in the dark than anyone initially thought. The police spy gave the others a cursory glance, stopping when his eyes fell upon Soujirou. "Oh! He's here," Chou flashed a grin at Saitou. "Good, 'coz we're all ready where we are, too."

Soujirou could feel question marks mushrooming out of his head. "Huh?" He asked, feeling that it was a rather intelligent question, in view of his current lack of knowledge of the situation.

Chou stared at him for a while. "They haven't told you yet?" He asked, withdrawing cautiously.

Soujirou found it in himself to smile, brighter than the fire torches of the room. "No." He stated in a tone that demanded that someone tell him now, or the person nearest to him would be a few limbs and digits short of a full body. Having had to face enough of suchlike aura in the past, Chou shrugged outwardly, and tried to suppress the cold sweat that was threatening to burst out from his forehead.

"This door's some heavy shit," the sword collector began, "we've been trying everything we can, pushing, pulling, slicing, dicing, blasting and exploding - nothing works."

"So that makes you think that I can do better?" Soujirou was miffed and slightly annoyed. He may be strong to a certain extent, but even he himself would stop to think thrice about a declaration that he could bring down a stone door which a bomb had not been able to.

"Of course!" Chou pat him on the back in a friendly manner. "You're the only one who can get us through this door now, I'd dare say!"

"You're insane," Enishi butted into the conversation. He was standing near the door and had evidently been listening in. "This door is nearly forty times his height, and probably four hundred times his weight. I don't see how he's going to be able to budge it, much less move it out of the way."

"Thanks for the vouch of confidence, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou chirped good naturedly. "But yes, he is right," he turned back to Chou, who shrugged and jerked a thumb backwards at Saitou. "Saitou-san?" Soujirou asked the solemn man. "This was /your/ idea?"

Again, when Saitou opened his mouth to say something, he was interrupted. This time, by Misao and Kamatari, who both leapt down from somewhere high and previously unseen. "Saitou, we're done on our side too," Kamatari announced, slamming the hilt of his scythe into the soft soil once, causing the chain on the weapon to tinkle against the blade. He tilted his head and grinned at Soujirou. "Hi, Sou-chan. So glad of you to offer to help us out here! We were really wondering how to go on!" His eyes darted over to where Enishi was and his mood waned visibly. "Hi to you too, cactus."

Enishi returned his greeting with a two-finger salute; neither agreeing to nor denying the charge that he was nothing but a pot of thorny desert plant.

"Wait." Soujirou, however, refused to acknowledge the greetings he had gotten so far. "Why do I feel like I'm missing out on something that will alter my life here after?" He still had a smile on his face, but his smile was evil. He looked at Aoshi from the corner of his eyes. "Perhaps this has something to do with the 'thing' you said I would be needed for while we were at the courtyard?"

Saitou cleared his throat loudly. Everybody's attention immediately was upon him. "Thank you," he graciously said, retrieving his sword from where it was leaning against the wall beside him. He walked up to Soujirou. "You wish to get through this door and get your hands on the Yuugure too, don't you?" He calmly questioned. Soujirou smiled.

"I believe that was what you hired me for, wasn't it, Saitou-san?" The boyish wanderer chirped.

"I am glad you still remember that you're working /under/ me," Saitou half snorted, turning to look derisively at Enishi, who simply looked back blankly. "And since you remember, you may do well to remember too that you will listen to my instructions and not question me, unless you desire very much to be kicked out of his case and for the entire police force to be actively on your case again," Saitou's eyes narrowed more than they were already narrowed. "Is that clear?"

Soujirou was not sure if he wanted to answer that. On the one hand, he had a raising urge to kick Saitou where it would hurt for the rest of his life, just to show the man what he thought of having the entire police force on his back. On the other hand, however, he had pursued the Yuugure case for months and yearned for closure to the matter - hopefully when he was present personally. Weighing his options carefully, Soujirou decided that kicking Saitou now would not benefit him in any way, besides make his wandering life a bit more exciting. He could kick Saitou after everything was done. So for now, he nodded and smiled. "Yes, sir!" He exclaimed, relishing in the echoes that his loud voice produced in the cavern.

"Excellent," Saitou sighed softly. He beckoned to Misao and Kamatari, who nodded at his signal and advanced towards the confused Soujirou with various thick rubber padding and lengthy metallic ropes.

The wanderer took it in his stride by not backing away instinctively, but allowing the two excited younglings to attach the rubber pads around his arms, waist and feet, then the metal ropes over the pads. He stared at the chains, trying to trace where the other ends were attached to. He saw that they stretched into the darkness behind him, and then curved upwards to some point on or near the stone doors. Soujirou was silent for a while. He considered the possibilities very carefully. Then he turned, also very carefully, back to facing Saitou.

"You don't mean," he asked, slowly, keeping his smile intact, "that you have got one end of some chains attached to the huge door, and then the other end attached to me... because you want me to run forward and hopefully use the force of my running to topple the door down?"

Saitou looked once at Soujirou. Then a positively evil grin took over his previously blank facade. "That's right," he agreed. "It should be chicken feed for the power of the Shukuchi, shouldn't it?"

—————————————————————

Kenji burst through a grove and landed flat on his face against hot gravel stone, for which he quickly scrambled to his feet and fanned his heating face dramatically. The silver fox, who had been leading him, paused and turned back to stare at him.

It almost looked like the fox was grinning playfully at Kenji's plight, but from what Kenji knew, the fox had been grinning since the first day he saw the animal. Kicking a stone away in silent protest, he broke into a run again, trying to catch up with the fox, who had began running ahead again.

Halfway through the courtyard, he noticed that the fox had paused in front of a fallen body and its fur was standing up. The fox crouched on its front legs, as if ready to strike the motionless figure on the floor anytime. This made Kenji instantly suspicious. He softly padded over, sneaking a glance at the fallen man. His eyes widened in surprise. This was one of the men who were walking along the forest path that particular day!

Immediately, he glanced around for a weapon. His own had been sacrificed to the waterfall when Hiko slapped it cleanly out of his hands, and he had yet to really get a new one. His entire training with Hiko had involved branches and twigs of various sizes and weight, but he knew that twigs alone were not going to be very intimidating or useful. He saw a long rod lying on the ground somewhere nearby and took it into his hands immediately. It was much too long for him, but this would have to do for now.

The fox started to yip, forcing the boy to return his attention to the scene on hand. The huge man who had previously been frothing at the mouth on the floor was slowly getting up.

Kenji's eyes flashed, as the events of that particular day along the stretch of mountain road came back to him with striking detail. He heaved the long stick as he would a bokken, relieved that the weapon was not very heavy and was easy to swing around despite its length. Before the huge man knew what was going on, Kenji gave a war cry and swung the long weapon at him, striking him squarely in his big stomach area.

The huge man was sent flying across the courtyard, crashing spectacularly into one of the empty rooms along the corridor.

"That was for calling me a rat, vermin!" Kenji screeched, amidst the noise that was paper doors and unused shelves falling to the weight of a man who had just flew into them from across the garden.

After the dust settled, the young swordsman regained his senses and blinked. He straightened himself, staring in the direction the huge man had flew off into. "Wow," he mused aloud to himself. "I didn't know I was hitting him /that/ hard."

The fox simply stared once at him, grinning. Then it bounded away in a seemingly random direction, its swishing tail the only sign of which way it went, for Kenji was still marveling at his newfound strength. He quickly shook himself and returned to reality, giving chase to the fox before he lost sight of it entirely. He also abandoned the long stick, for he figured that it was not really his kind of weapon. He sighed, deciding to keep a lookout for another weapon. Going into enemy terrain bare-fisted was not the most ideal situation he wanted to get into now, but if he had to do it, then he would.

It was nearly midday. Still some time left to sunset.

—————————————————————

"I would really like to repeat myself," Soujirou's voice was calm, but there was mild hysteria in his eyes, "in case you didn't hear me the first time, that no, this is /not/ the right way to use Shukuchi. In fact, I have /never/ heard of anyone using speed to pull down stone doors so I /really/ don't think it's going to work and..." he sighed when he realised that nobody was listening to him, although Misao and Kamatari were still checking the metal chain they had tied around his limbs, ensuring that they were secure. From a safe distance, Soujirou could see Enishi yawning, completely uninterested in defending his occasional but long-time partner from the mob insanity. He bristled.

"Okay, we're done," Misao happily announced, and took a step backwards. Kamatari soon did the same.

"All gear secured and ready to go!" The spy nodded, sounding equally happy. Soujirou bristled even more. They were certainly having great fun at his expense.

"Well, Tenken no Soujirou," Saitou waved at him apathetically. "It's time for you to show us your stuff."

For the next few seconds, there was complete still and silence. A stale wind blew through the cavern from between the small cracks that were available or had been made by Misao and Kamatari in their quest to anchor the door to Soujirou's appendanges. Even though Soujirou appeared to be in deep thought over something, it was hard to tell what was really on his mind.

Finally, the wanderer sighed softly. However soft it was, the empty room amplified it, such that everybody present could hear him.

That was just as well, for his next words were meant for all. He turned, flashing his onlookers a beautiful smile as he declared, "I am going to kill all of you if this fails."

Silence was his only reply, with Chou and Kamatari both sensing beads of cold sweat rolling down their cheeks. Soujirou crouched down into the familiar pose of Shuntensatsu, wondering again and again why he was doing what he was doing. Ah yes, he remembered. It was so that he could put an end this Yuugure nonsense for once and for all.

Well, if he succeeded in tearing down the door with Shukuchi speed and translated energy, he would skin all the Yuugure he saw on his way out alive. If not, he would just skin Enishi alive. What a win-win situation this was. He giggled, causing everybody to step back once out of self-protection. But without further ado, the wanderer leant forward.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the realm of superspeed.

All the onlookers could see was that the chains suddenly tightened, digging deeply into the massive door that hindered them from their next step, loosening much ancient soil. In just a split second, the formerly towering presence of the heavy looking door came tearing off its natural hinges, splitting into myriads of minor cracks where the hooks had been set in. Although the entire door had been dislodged in one clean move, the tip of the door instantly succumbed to gravity, tilting dangerously forward, threatening to collapse on anybody and anything that stood below it. The shadow of the door lurched forward, growing bigger and bigger - bigger than it should be.

It would have completely collapsed onto the floor, effectively squashing anybody and anything beneath it, if it had not been longer than the width of the room itself. The fallen door groaned loudly as it dragged itself downwards into the wall it had been facing when it was upright. Eventually, the groaning muffled into a loud, yawning stop. The door had fallen to its limits, stopped halfway to completion by the wall opposite it, forming a downward ramp that led to the room just behind it. The few who were beneath it, a breath away from being squashed, heaved collective sighs of relief.

"Oh man," Misao quickly scrambled to the narrow ledge that would still be available for walking even if the door should completely fall. She looked at the fallen door and shuddered. The door was as thick as she was tall, and that did not sit well with her. This thing doubtlessly weighed a ton. She had sudden newfound respect for Soujirou and the explosive latent power behind the speed of Shukuchi. And she noted to herself that Soujirou was to help with all last minute grocery shopping the next time he dropped by the renovated Aoiya.

"It looks like it worked," Saitou blandly announced, still leaning against the wall with not a shadow of fear upon his hooded, confident features. The fire torches had all been blown out by the wind caused by the massive door falling. The only source of light they had now was from the other room, the room they now had access to after forcibly yanking the impossibly huge door open. Saitou cocked his head in a direction to a figure who was standing somewhere on top of the slanted door, engrossed in his own affairs. "Very useful skill you've got there, Tenken."

From where he stood atop the stone slab that was once an upright door, Soujirou raised his new sword, bringing it down upon the final constraint of metal that was on one of his his wrists. With a firm clink, the barrier fell, broken in pieces, to the ground. The rubber padding beneath it exploded in scattered fragments.

"Ah well," the boy shrugged. "I guess I could always find a reason to kill you... some other day!" He promised with a brilliant smile.****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
25/2/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	50. 49: In Suspension

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 49: In Suspension

"What the hell do these people think they're up to!" Chou cursed incessantly under his breath. The slowly lowering ceilings of the tunnel his entire entourage was travelling in amplifying it so that everybody heard it anyway. They cast him strange, bothered looks.

Noticing this, Chou simply snorted and turned his nose up in the air. "You /all/ saw how /huge/ that damn door was! Can you tell me seriously that you don't feel like you've been cheated after you realise that stupid door leads to a cramped, narrow /tunnel/ that can barely fit two people shoulder to shoulder at a go!"

There was a brief silence, which was punctuated only by Saitou's soft sighing.

Chou bristled immediately upon hearing the putting down tone in Saitou's voice. "Whatever bullshit you want to toss in my direction this time, you can save it, buster," he half-snarled, knowing that even if Saitou was to berate him like a little boy, he would be powerless to stop it anyway. That did not mean that he would stop trying to jump on every available nerve of the man who constantly put his life through torture and peril, though!

But Saitou simply shrugged in response. "How could I possibly dream of wasting my breath on brainless morons like yourself," the question was stated as if there was nothing more about the topic to argue for or against. Chou could feel a blood vessel throbbing on his forehead, ready to burst anytime. Before he could get down to shouting at the - in his opinion - over-confident dog of the government, Kamatari bravely walked in between the two men in conflict, holding up placating hands.

"Okay, okay, please don't get into an internal scuffle at this point of time," he shook his head. "We don't need to enemy to laugh at us for breaking down from within before we even reach them," he reminded.

"I believe those words were meant for you, broomhead," Saitou sneered at the still fuming Chou, who was trying to clear his head to accomodate the logic behind Kamatari's suggestion. Once Saitou spoke, however, the urge to murder leapt up at him from the darkest recesses of his mind once more, ready to really murder with just one more push of the button.

"Stop it, both of you!" Kamatari huffed, when he noticed that Chou returned to glaring and growling. He whapped Chou upside the head and kicked a stone at Saitou. That was all he could do. He did not know what he could say that had already been said before in his long service working alongside the quarrelsome duo.

Their petty squabbling had also attracted the attention of everybody who was currently walking along the tunnel. Some were curious, others were disapproving, and yet others nonchalant. All in all, it certainly made the situation less amiable and more uneasy. Not the best kind of atmosphere to have just prior to a huge showdown with the enemy.

It was somewhat to everyone's relief then, that Aoshi's calm, unaffected voice was to be next heard, lifting the tension among the group of warriors. "Saitou," he addressed the man directly, determined to ignore the outburst that had just occurred, "did you also know about the Yuugure's plans for sunset?"

Saitou stared at Aoshi for a long while. "There was a spectulation, but up until now it still remains just a speculation."

"If your speculation has anything to do with cannons and Kyoto, then it isn't a speculation anymore," Aoshi informed.

"What do you mean?" Kamatari's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And how did you know anyway?"

"That man stationed to intercept the two of them," Aoshi gestured at Soujirou and Enishi, who had remained exceptionally silent thus far. "He is one of the three who are closest to their leader. He warned us that by sunset, Kyoto will be under attack. Whether or not there is an ulterior motive in his information I cannot tell, but one thing I am certain of is that his information was true and should be taken seriously," the ninja's slightly animated hands returned to their usual spot, folded across his chest.

"But why would they want to attack Kyoto for?" Misao asked the question lingering upon everybody's mind. She tilted her head and ghosted two fingers over her chin. "Wouldn't it be a big waste of money and power? I mean, not that I /want/ Kyoto to be attacked or anything," she disclaimed quickly, "...but it just seems illogical. Unless they've got a lot of firepower in their arsenal, I don't see how such a big-scale operation on an entire city can get them anywhere... except in trouble with the government. Which can be quite suicidal for a comparatively small organisation like them, huh?" She grinned at any who were listening to her.

"For once, I see that you have finally developed a brain," Saitou remarked offhandedly, casually knocking away a kunai that came sailing in his direction immediately after his half-hearted praise of sorts.

"The attack on Kyoto may be for many reasons," Saitou continued, "in their case, probably a statement of power. To accurately deduce what their actual purpose is, of course, we need to find out their motive for being in Japan is in the first place. Once that is established, everything else falls into place naturally. And as I suspect that this Yuugure thing have access to the most advanced weaponry the western world has to offer," he added as an afterthought, "so I doubt they fear if the government can do anything to them."

"Some enemy we're up against," Kamatari snorted. "Are you /sure/ just the few of us are enough to handle this large underground ant nest?" He directed his question at his superior. Saitou simply shrugged.

"Chop the head off and the body can't survive for long," the police chief produced an evil smirk. "That's how it is with all human organisations."

The group continued moving slowly through the dimly lit tunnel in silence, each starting to get lost in their own thoughts. Soujirou glanced once in Enishi's direction, noticing that the man was mumbling something to himself. He was not making any noise, but merely moving his lips. Soujirou could barely make out what Enishi could have been saying by reading his lips, and the darkness did not help. He did know, after a while, however, that Enishi was muttering in a foreign tongue. And as he watched on, he thought he could make out a few words that Enishi was mouthing.

Didn't think. Go this far. Stupid idiots. Brainless trash. Once I get my hands on you. All die. Muahahah.

It was not something Soujirou was proud of - that his knowledge of the Chinese language consisted mainly of threats and close to twenty vernacular permutations of the word 'fool'. That was all Enishi had been willing to teach, after all. Still, it helped him get a rough idea of what Enishi might be up to. He felt sad quite suddenly. "Yukishi"

"Stop," Aoshi's commanding voice halted everybody in their steps and effectively cut off Soujirou's intention to speak with Enishi. The younger wanderer stopped as instructed, gazing out to what was before them that had gotten Aoshi's guard up.

They had apparently reached the end of the tunnel. There was darkness. Nothing but sheer darkness.

"There's a cliff drop if we keep walking, Aoshi-sama," Misao mildly remarked, earning her an approving nod from the taller ninja. "What should we do now?"

Aoshi only took a moment to think. "Soujirou. Fire torches." He stated.

The smiling boy blinked at the sudden instructions, but quickly acknowledged it. He vanished, and the tunnel behind the group went quickly from dimmed to darkened. By then, Soujirou had at least ten fire torches standing upright against the ground within the circle of people that had somehow been formed in the respite. All of that happened in the time it took for most of those present to hitch a breath.

Even Aoshi, having expected such a quick and efficient outcome, was rendered speechless for a whole moment. Eventually he simply turned around and gestured at Kamatari this time. "Use your scythe to find the edge of cliff. Misao, throw him a torch after he finds it. Make sure you light up the entire edge so we can see it." He was addressing Kamatari, who had already begun to use the hilt of his scythe like a guiding stick of sorts, carefully trying to find the cliff edge in the darkness. Turning to the rest who had been reduced to mere observers, he said, "This shouldn't take long."

As if on cue, Kamatari's voice drifted in from a random direction. "Tomboy One over here please"

Misao pulled a burning torch out from the ground and bit her lower lip to kill the smartass retort she was about to say. She tossed the torch in the air and flung a kunai at it, hitting the handle dead centre. "You're the /last/ person I want to hear challenging my /feminity, young /man!"

Carried by the force of the dagger, the fire torch flew across the darkness towards Kamatari at high speed. The scythe wielder caught it with ease, sniggering at Misao's poor attempt to rile him up. "I'm afraid you're going to need a better way with words than that, lady," he stabbed the fire torch deeply into the soil, as close to the cliff as he could. The area was lit up immediately, so Kamatari moved on to another darker part of the cliff.

"One here too, lovesick /baby," he chided, hearing a low growl emitting from the girl. The next torch came hurtling towards him with unrivalled speed and deadly accuracy, but he caught it all the same. "Thank you" He chirped, having much fun with the event. He and Misao continued in this game of fire torch tag complete with intelligent rebuttal, until the entire cliff area was lit up by an eerie, orange glow.

"If I didn't know any better," Soujirou had mentioned briefly to Enishi, "I would really have thought that they were the best of pals, playing a game of fire torch tag!"

Enishi rolled his eyes. "And the sun will set in the east, the moon will bleed red, and pigs will fly," was what he thought of the very idea of Misao and Kamatari coming anywhere near to terms with one another.

In the course of their conversation, their eyes had by then gradually adjusted to the intrusive darkness. With the aid of glow of the fire torches, they could now have a good idea of what the end of the tunnel looked like - as well as what laid beyond the cliff drop.

The cliff went all the way down into the darkness beyond. There was no way any light, short of very strong sunlight, could reach the bottom of the valley to show the people on the cliff what actually laid upon it. There were four shakey looking rope-and-wood suspension bridges, bouncing around to the undercurrent wind coming up from beneath. They criss-crossed each other like stacked ladders, one bridge leading downwards and another leading upwards, so on so forth.

There was a signboard standing alone somewhere off the lines, and Kamatari was nearest, so he approached it and squinted at it. After staring at it for a while, he laughed dryly into the air. "Hey guys," he called out to the others, who were expecting him to tell them about the contents of the signboard. "Looks like our good friends are all prepared to meet us one to one!"

Enishi scoffed. "Tell us something we don't already know, sissy," he almost spat, his annoyed tone annoying Kamatari as well. The latter checked himself, so that he would not flare up and try to drive the sharp side of his scythe into Enishi's head, temple to temple. He flashed all onlookers a bright grin.

"Okay, I'm going to read the words on the signboard out now!" He chirped, trying first and foremost to hypnotise himself that no, he did not have a grudge against Enishi and no, he would not go over and kick him down the cliff right this very moment. He turned to the signboard and squinted again. "Oh /man, who wrote this notice out anyway? The language sucks!" He whined. After a brief silence, Kamatari cleared his throat as an indication.

He recited: "Welcome to Inari Underground. Commendable you made it so far. We Chinese mafia very fair, so we give you four road to find us. One bridge only one can walk. After walking the bridge will fall. Please walk on lowest bridge first and mind your step. We only wait for you until sunset."

"There we go with the sunset again," Chou snorted. "I know that's the name of their organisation, but they seriously need to work on their vocabulary."

"It's a scare tactic," Enishi suddenly spoke out loud, seriously, from where he was leaning against the tunnel opening. "They're trying to scare us into assuming that something serious will be happening at sunset."

Everybody stared at him. "You mean, nothing is /actually/ going to happen at sunset?" Soujirou ventured the question that was undoubtedly on everybody else's minds.

"Something will still happen," Enishi was by now looking at the ground, deep in thoughts. He did not even insert a trademarked snide remark or two into his answer. "But usually..." his eyes paced about the cavern, "...usually, if there is any grand event planned after a one-on-one duel against the rival gang, then the event is to be kept top-secret, until the one-on-one is over... after which the rival gang can be given a surprise, whether they win or lose..."

Time rolled by slowly, as the small tidbit of information slowly sunk in. Saitou breathed loudly, standing upright and facing the ex-Chinese mafia leader. "I see." He declared. "It looks like we've interrupted a much larger part of their original plan than we initially thought." He sneered at Enishi. Enishi just glared back.

"They are flustered," Aoshi explained, for the benefit of any on scene who were slightly confused by the sudden turn of events. "We have gone and interrupted with so many of their plans that they can no longer operate accordingly. That is why they are trying to warn us - intimidate us, so to speak, with the constant threat of doom at sunset. Anything to deter us or dampen our spirits."

"And it's not that they're making empty threats either," Enishi's one palm now covered his entire lower face, making the intense glow in his eyes especially evident. "It's just that because we've caught them so off guard, they need time to prepare for the ultimate showdown. Our only comfort lies in the fact that in their fluster, they may have forgotten something important, but the way I see it..." He trailed off, mouth moving but voice restrained. "...I wonder how much more high-tech have the equipment gotten since I last saw them?" The man grinned to himself.

Soujirou tapped him on the shoulder. "You know, Yukishiro-san, there's only one way to ever find that out," he flashed his partner a bedazzling smile. The kinds that made Enishi's hairs stand on ends more than they already were standing. Soujirou continued, "You walk across that bridge and go get 'em!" Before Enishi could protest, Soujirou was already herding the white-haired man across the terrain, towards one of the dangerously shaking bridges suspended across the chasm that was so deep, it could not be seen.

Specifically, he stood at the bridge that seemed to be the lowest of all four. "See? This is the simplest and lowest bridge of all - it doesn't even twirl around the other bridges like the rest does," the boyish wanderer pointed out. "I wonder if it's true that the bridge will fall once a person steps foot on it?" He slapped Enishi on his back good naturedly. "Show us, Yukishiro-san!" He pushed the man, and Enishi tumbled forward onto the bridge.

The bridge immediately started to shake spectacularly. Even after Enishi stopped moving, the rattling bridge did not stop. For a while, it continued to sway, and Enishi stared at it with great fascination. Finally, a single rope connecting the bridge to the other side snapped, the twinging sound it made reverberating off the deep crevasse, bouncing into everybody's ears.

Enishi only had time to shoot Soujirou a glare that would properly translate to, 'you-are-so-dead', before turning tail and running towards the other side of the shakey bridge, whose old ropes and corroded wood fell, bit by bit, into the valley beneath.

Sometime after the entire bridge gave a loud, roaring sound and fell completely into the darkness, Soujirou turned around to flash the rest of the entourage a wide, happy grin. "Looks like our opponents weren't lying!"

Somewhere beyond the valley, safe, sound and shaken from the other side, Enishi could be heard cursing as loudly as he could.****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
25/2/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	51. 50: End of the Tunnel

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 50: End of the Tunnel

Kenji skidded to a halt when the tunnel came to a end in abrupt darkness. The fox sniffed experimentally at the unseen barrier, then turned its head up to look at Kenji. It pawed gently at the door that was black and camouflaged by darkness, encouraging Kenji to take a closer look, which the boy did. He stepped forward and put an experimental arm out. There was a smooth, metallic surface somewhere in front indeed. This meant that the tunnel could have a continuation.

In a spur of inspiration, Kenji put both palms on the surface and pushed. The door did not so much as groan. The boy tried again. And again. And again, each time putting much greater force on the door than the previous. But nothing seemed to work.

Finally, he growled and gave the door a firm kick in an attempt to quell his anger and frustration. He was so near and yet so far. This careless action caused his foot to hand on the latch he had not seen or felt in his entire time spent tussling with the door, and his annoyed growl exploded into a yell of pain.

"OUCH! OWOWOW!" He hopped around on his good foot, feeling the stinging pain in the other foot which had struck the latch. After he had hopped a good amount of time, the pain subsided into a dull throb. He sighed, turning to glare slightly at the door, then at the fox that was resting on all fours beside it, preening.

"You could've warned me, you know!" He scolded the animal, not knowing for what. It was not as if the fox /knew/ there was a latch there, was it? Stalking forward and clasping his hand around the latch, he pulled. The door moaned slightly, and budged an inch. Kenji's face brightened. /Now/ he was getting somewhere! He tugged, with much more force than his first pull. The door protested only with a screech from its hinges. It swung wide open after a bit more cajoling.

Even more darkness greeted Kenji from within the chambers of the opened door. The fox darted in immediately without hesitation, even as Kenji took time to gape and ponder over his next step. Seeing the flash of bright silver pass by him, however, Kenji simply followed. For some reason, the fox seemed more eager than he was to get nearer to the bowels of Yuugure activity. And in the event that if he did get lost in this labyrinth of darkness, at least he if followed the fox, he could have fox stew for dinner and survive a bit longer. Kenji nodded. He was absolutely sure that that was the reason why the fox was bringing him around at all.

They wandered around a bit in a huge room with a huge slab of stone that had fallen from somewhere and formed a ramp towards the exit. Kenji noticed that the huge stone seemed to fit the huge exit exactly. He wondered if they were any way related. No time for further musings, however, for the fox was getting quickly out of sight. Kenji followed with a burst of speed, down a long, winding, one-way tunnel with fire torches lined on both sides of the wall. There were signs of footsteps and shuffling on the soil on the ground, Kenji realised, and his heart leapt with anticipation. He hoped that he could find Soujirou or Enishi by the end of the tunnel, for he had to warn them about the cannons before sunset.

At the final stretch of narrow tunnel, there were no fire torches on the walls anymore, although there were holders. It was as if someone had hurriedly plucked the torches from their original resting places. Kenji saw the fox veer off and disappear into the distance. He could see that the end of the tunnel opened up to a rather soft glow of warm, orange fire. Hastening his steps, he stepped out of the tunnel and near to the light, announcing his arrival to whoever cared to know with frantic, heavy steps and a sharp hoot of achievement.

Four heads immediately turned to regard him, with surprised wariness first, then recognition, relief, and finally exasperation.

"Kenji!" Misao rose from where she was sitting, huddled near the makeshift fire torch campfire. She put a hand on her waist and used the other one to point at the boy. "You're in enemy territory! Stop announcing your presence to everybody!"

"I can't help it oba-san!" Kenji simply grinned and hopped around some more, adrenaline and a sense of victory powering him. "I could sense my friends nearby and I just had to make a din!"

"How sweet," Kamatari smiled at Kenji affectionately, yet giving off a rather sinister feel at the same time. "I like hyperactive boys."

Misao shot him a warning glare, which he ignored, naturally.

"Well, boy, you sure took your own sweet time comin'," Chou scoffed. He was leaning back on his palms and with his legs outstretched in front of him. "They've all gone up ahead over the other side, where the pastures are greener. We're just here to keep a watchout for the reinforcements Saitou's requested, pending approval."

Kenji took all the information in sombrely. He turned to the last person in the current group who had yet to speak a word. "Oji-san?" He asked, timidly. "How come the Oniwabanshuu is still here? You should have no reason to be waiting here as well for police reinforcements, right...?"

Aoshi's eyes slowly opened. He looked at Kenji, then looked over his shoulders to a spot beyond the boy. Kenji blinked, turning around to see what Aoshi was looking at. There was a signboard sticking out from somewhere near the edge of the cliff, that was illuminated by several sticks of fire torches. Kenji looked questioningly at Aoshi for a little while more, then moved forward to peruse the sign. He was absorbed in it for a while, mostly because it was written with much erroneous and sometimes funny grammar.

Once he was done with the sign, he glanced towards the darkness beyond the cliff drop. The fox was sitting at the entrance of the only suspension bridge that was still up and apparently operational. It tilted its head at Kenji, beckoning it to come, but Kenji had something else on mind. "Oji-san," he asked Aoshi, a tinge of curiousity in his voice, "why is there one bridge left? It says here that there are four and one person can go on one... makes no sense to just leave it hanging around to me..."

There was a brief respite of silence, after which Chou began to hoot with laughter, and Kamatari smiled knowingly to himself. "Well if ya must know, kid," Chou waved a hand before his face, "when one of the other bridges fell down it hit this particular bridge slightly, so this thing is now two connections short of a full bridge," he pointed at one end of the bridge, whose rope was so delicately wrought together that it seemed like it would snap at any time. "I don't think even an ant can crawl across without making the bridge plunge to certain doom, much less us big sized humans," he sniggered. "That Tenken is sometimes /too/ fast for his own good."

Kenji spent a bit of time mulling over the information. "So you're all going to wait here for reinforcements and that's it?" He asked, slightly disappointed.

"Don't think there's anything else we could do," Kamatari shrugged. He had sauntered to the edge of the cliff while Kenji had been thinking, a large stone in hand. Without an explanation - perhaps there was no need for one - he flung the stone with great force across the crevasse, into the darkness. For a long time they waited, to see if the stone would hit anything on the other side, so they could gauge how far exactly 'the other side' was.

And for a long time, they heard nothing.

"See?" Kamatari turned around with a resigned sigh. "Can't even tell how far the other side is. Nothing we can do until backup comes."

It was true, Kenji knew, that it would be pointless to try to grope a way out in the darkness. But surely, he thought, there had to be something they could do without simply waiting around. Sunset, after all, was just around the corner. "Oji-san," the boy tried again, flustered. "Is there really nothing we can do? Sunset is approaching... we can't wait too long..." His words tapered off into mumblings. Aoshi raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Is there something you wish to tell us about?" The sombre ninja immediately asked, surprising Kenji. He had not realised he could be read so easily. Then again, Aoshi had watched him grow up, so that did not particular come as a surprise.

"I have something to show you, Oji-san," Kenji declared. "But it's too dark here and you probably won't be able to make up much of it," he sighed. "We need to get across to the other side of this crevasse. It'll be much easier to talk there."

The four who had been left behind stared at him in wonderment. "How do you know if it'll be easier to talk here or there anyway?" Kamatari asked. "The way I see it, it'll be as dark over there as it is over here."

"That has to do with what I need to show you guys," Kenji nodded to acknowledge Kamatari's doubt. He pulled out the parchment from where he had hidden it in one of his sleeves. "I have a map of this place," he declared, earning himself several wide-eyed looks of amazement. "Don't ask me how I got it, because I'm not quite sure myself," he scratched the back of his head and shot the waiting fox an accusing glance.

The fox stuck its nose up in the air.

"I've gone through the map on my way down the tunnel," Kenji carried on. "The map is accurate thus far. And if it continues to be accurate," he pointed at the darkness that laid beyond the bridge, "then once we step over onto the other side and walk a little, we'll come out into the open air labyrinth. There should be enough light in that place to go around!" He grinned, proud of his narration.

The others exchanged quick, suspicious glances among themselves. So deep they were in enemy territory, it was hard for them not to be suspicious of the slightest bit of seemingly divine help. "Let me see that map anyway, Kenji," Aoshi decided that the only way to know was to look at the evidence itself. Kenji obediently handed the parchment over, folding his hands behind himself afterwards to carefully examine what Aoshi thought of the thing.

Aoshi took the scroll, turned it around and carefully stroked a finger over the bottom part of the material. After a few strokes, he stopped. He rolled the parchment up and handed it back to Kenji.

Expectant eyes were soon upon him. Aoshi put two fingers to his chin in a pose of thought. Finally he announced, "The map has the pattern of the Yuugure marked onto its back, just like all its other official documents." A pause. "It is real and can be trusted."

Kenji grinned widely, as if he was vindicated of some charge.

"So now the question becomes," Kamatari pointed down the dark canyon, "/how, do we get across this thing?"

Before any human had a chance to brainstorm on that interesting question, the single animal in amongst them yipped for attention. It was not disappointed, for suddenly everybody stared at it, some with surprise and some with curiosity. "What's wrong?" Kenji addressed the fox, knowing that he looked silly but too exhilarated to care. He approached the fox, who yipped again, pointing its nose at the bridge over and over. "Cross the bridge...?" He tried to translate, and was apparently successful, because the fox then stopped barking and sat down peacefully, staring at Kenji first, then observing the people present.

"Kenji," Aoshi was frowning, "where did that fox come from?"

"I don't know," Kenji replied honestly, "I think it kinda followed me here from Tokyo," he gestured at the fox, who shook its tail in a friendly manner, as if in agreement. "It seems rather tame. Maybe it belongs to someone else?" He shrugged. "In any case, the fox was the one who gave me the map, whether you believe it or not, haha!" The boy laughed sheepishly. Beside him, the silver fox yowled soulfully.

Aoshi glanced once at the signboard, seemingly suddenly able to understand something. He closed his eyes. "I believe you," he stated solemnly, causing Kenji to cease laughing, and everybody else to look at him with something akin to disbelief. "So it seems like once we cross the bridge, we may have a good chance of being able to do something meaningful."

"We can disarm the cannons!" Kenji perked up, holding the rolled-up scroll in a pose of triumph. "That should teach them not to mess around with Kyoto!" The fox stood on all fours and yipped.

"Cannons?" Aoshi quipped.

"Yeah," Kenji nodded. The fox started chasing its tail. "The scroll mentions that there are cannons mounted in various parts of the labyrinth on the other side. If we can use the map to find each and every one of them, and disable them, then we have less things to worry about, right? Unless you mean to say that Soujirou and Enishi have already gone over to the other side to disable the cannons?"

"Absolutely no idea what they could be doing on the other side now," Chou shrugged. "They went in blind. Probably gonna need to figure things out blindly s'well."

"Well then what're we waiting for!" Kenji was practically hopping on his feet. "Let's go help them out now!"

"Didn't you read the signboard, boy?" Kamatari sighed, beckoning in the direction of the warning. "This bridge can't hold the weight of even one person anymore. We can't all go over to 'help out' unless we find a way to walk which doesn't involve instantly plunging down into whatever it is that lurks underneath." He pointed downwards, closing his speech with a tone of finality.

Kenji squinted at what could be down there. For all they knew, it could have been a canyon that was not even half his height! Picking up a fire torch, he flung it down, watching the spark of light go lower, lower, and lower, until it could no longer be seen. He shuddered visibly, forced to take his words back. The canyon was practically a bottomless pit.

"Well, we have to try something at least," Kenji surprised even himself with his frustrated tone of voice. He picked up a few of Misao's kunais that was scattered around his visible vicinity and approached the entrance of the bridge. With a firm 'thonk!', he embedded two of the kunai deeply into the rope that was still hanging on firmly. He used another one to kill the other rope that was barely hanging on by a thread. The bridge rocked and tilted, now hanging upon one rope.

"If we can't walk firmly across on wide planks," Kenji turned back to stare at his friends, "then we'll run across on its width!" He declared, pointing down the bridge. "Kitsune! You take a fire torch and go down first, so we can know how far away the other end is!" He commanded, half in jest and half for the fun of it.

And to the horror of everybody else present - Kenji included, the fox complied with an excited yip. It picked up a fire torch between its jaws, then bounded rapidly across the shakey looking bridge like it was firm ground, wagging its tail like it was a happy puppy.

Five seconds later, a loud yip echoed across the crevasse. They could now see the spectral flame of the fire torch the fox was waving about, some forty to fifty metres away from where they were situated.

"Well, dammit," Kenji blinked, finally lowering his finger, "I hadn't seriously expected the thing to be able to understand. But anyway!" Kenji's eyes gleamed with mischief. "We're going onwards! Follow me, fellow worthy warriors!"

Without a word more, he dashed forward onto the bridge, disappearing into the darkness before anybody could hold him back or protest.

Not long after Kenji had traversed the whole length of the bridge, the ancient connection fell to the weight of its travellers in a landslide of broken splinters and snapped ropes, never again to be seen in the light of day.****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
25/2/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

my hopes of this thing ending at chapter 50 has been crushed! now let's aim to end it at chapter 55! w00t! 


	52. 51: Into the Light

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

**WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._**

**WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.**

**—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 51: Into the Light**

"Are we all safe and sound!" Kenji screeched at the top of his voice.

The birds in the distance forest canopy replied with sweet singing. A soft, gentle breeze caressed the barren, bleak landscape of the walled labyrinth he had stepped into. Overhead, the ceiling was no longer the dirt or musty of the tunnel roof. Instead, the clear blue sky stretched for as far as his eyes could take in. The redhead grinned, taking in a huge breath of clean, fresh air. Air had never tasted as good as it did now!

"You're going to attract all the enemies within hearing distance with your shouting," Misao sighed, as she emerged from the cavernous exit of the tunnel that was behind them. From behind her, Aoshi stepped into the sunlight as well.

After landing on the other side of the crevasse and spending a small amount of time marvelling at the suspension bridge falling into darkness, they had embarked on yet another twisted, winding one-way tunnel journey, confusing their sense of direction. It seemed like all the bridges led to different paths, and the exits laid in different areas of a massive open air labyrinth on the other side of the mountain.

"Where are the other two?" Kenji asked, curious. He looked at Aoshi.

"They are required to stay behind to await police reinforcements, being spies of the force," the tall man reminded Kenji. He walked towards Kenji and held a hand out. "Let's see that map again."

The boy handed the parchment over without question, watching as Aoshi spread it over the whitewashed tiles of the floor, using the sunlight to see - clearly this time - what the contents of the scroll was.

Kenji took the pause in action to examine the new surroundings. From all around him, there were white walls without roofs, shooting upwards to the skies, blending in with the whiteness of the moving clouds. The walls were about three to four times his height, its ramrod straight slope with smooth surfaces making it impossible for someone to climb without some tools and preparation.

Since this was a maze of sorts, climbing did not particular seem like a good way to clear it. Who knew if the walls had traps laid within them? The enemy did not seem like they were people who pulled punches on the ones who had overturned their grand schemes, after all. Kenji knew from the rest that Saitou, Soujirou and Enishi had already gone on ahead of them. But since each bridge led to a different exit in a different area of the labyrinth, it might take a while before they met up together again.

Of course, Kenji was sure, they would meet up again. For that was how this elaborate maze had been designed. No matter where the starting point was, there was only one true exit. And that was where the minotaur lurked. He found himself marvelling slightly at how the architecture of the place was simple, yet archaic and elegant. A bird croned in the distance, and the song of many crickets flooded his senses. He closed his eyes and let the sound of the forest overwhelm him. He could really get used to this.

In the distance - a rather far distance away, there was the sound of a gigantic explosion. Aoshi and Misao immediately looked up from their examination of the map, joining Kenji in staring in the direction of the huge blast. After about two more subsequent blasts of considerably softer volume, Kenji turned back around to look at his two seniors with inquiry in his eyes.

"No," Aoshi immediately read from his expressions that he meant to ask if they were going to go hence and help. The taller man rolled up the scroll and tossed it back to Kenji. "Our purpose in this maze is to find and disable all cannons and equipment that control those cannons. The others can take care of themself," Aoshi kept his words very guarded. He checked the direction of his shadow, then looked all around him. "All right," he commanded, "let's go."

—————————————————————

When Soujirou heard the explosion, he had stopped to glance briefly in that direction as well. He saw a column of dust and smoke raise up in the air, and heard about two more loud bangs. Then there was sheer silence. The sights, sounds and smell of the forest in a normal hot and sunny day filled Soujirou's senses once more.

"Well, that was certainly queer," Soujirou chirped brightly to himself. Folding his hands into his sleeves and tucking them snugly in the inside of his gi, he walked on, to where the lonely white walls would lead him.

He wondered how the rest were faring.

He himself was not faring very well, he admitted with candor. There was certainly something strange about these tall walls that he could not quite put his finger on. To his credit, he actually /remembered/ that somewhere, sometime in the distant past, Enishi had mentioned Chinese labyrinths to him before. Back then, Soujirou had chosen to simply laugh it off as something ridiculous, for Enishi had said that the Chinese were so well versed with geographic formation, they could trap a person for a week in a space that was only five metres long and five metres wide, using two long pillars as tools and nothing else.

Who could rightly believe in such an absurd claim, anyway?

Now, however, that Soujirou was the subject to one of these so-called geographic formations, walking about the white-washed walls that looked more and more familiar each time he passed by them, he found himself having to review the possibility of Enishi having spoken the truth. It almost felt as if he had walked into a strange pocket of time and dimension, where serenity was a trap and every step seemed to lead him closer to disaster.

At that thought, Soujirou stopped. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. He would take the enemy seriously. Even if the enemy was simply an array of confusing white walls.

He withdrew his sword slightly from the sheath, nicking his thumb to draw a little bit of blood. He casually pressed the blood upon the white wall next to him, giving it an unmistakable mark and smell. He glanced once at it, apparently satisfied.

In his next step, he was gone from sight.

It was not before long that he had marked the path he had been walking with small drops of blood upon the wall. Following the signs he had given himself, he turned a new corner and found himself coming to an immediate, dead stop. He stared, at the huge, empty room before him, barricaded from the outside world with the same tall, white walls he had been running around in since just now.

He wondered how in the world he could have missed seeing this entrance for all this time. It was sobering to know, too, that if he had not been marking where he was going, he would have easily overlooked this particular well-hidden entrance for a long, long time.

Still, Soujirou's smile remained unaffected while he examined the room carefully, from the threshold. He was unwilling to take a further step into what he knew could be a trap.

For at the far end corner of the room, the girl Zheng was leaning against one wall smugly. She perked up when she heard footsteps, her complacent smile stretching when she saw that it was Soujirou standing at the entrance. Pushing herself off from the wall behind her, she applauded, "Welcome to our headquarters, Seta Soujirou." Her voice was laced with poisoned honey. "Won't you please step into our cannon control centre?"

Soujirou, of course, stated his hesitation immediately. "That won't be necessary," he shrugged, "this room is too empty to be anything really significant, Zheng-san."

At that, Zheng actually laughed. She tsk'ed at the boy and shook a finger. "Don't they teach you in schools here, that you should never judge a book by its cover?" The girl shot a challenging glare at Soujirou. "Some things are better understood up close and personal."

Soujirou was not quite sure what she meant by that - her heavily accented Japanese having distracted him quite some time back when she was in the middle of trying to pronounce the idiom correctly. Stifling his giggles, however, Soujirou returned his attention to the issue on hand.

Zheng had mentioned that this room was a cannon control room - highly possible that she was lying, considering that Soujirou could see nothing but a huge, white and empty room. Yet at the same time, if she was /not/ lying, then he would be giving up a rather grand chance that was being offered to him. The chance of being able to destroy the Yuugure's plans at sunset.

However minute that possibility, it seemed like a good risk to take.

After all, what did he have to lose?

Besides his socks, which he had already lost in that one particular Kenji versus Aoshi fight in the city of Kyoto. But his intelligent mind figured that he was digressing, so he hastily pulled himself back on track.

"Very well," the boyish wanderer replied the mafia lady, who had seemed to anticipate this answer. Soujirou then stepped into the room properly, as he continued, "I suppose I will learn nothing unless I step into the lion's den myself."

And Soujirou was not surprised that, the moment he entered the room wholly, the door behind him shifted tightly shut by some device. He did not sigh or look back to confirm his entrapment. There was, after all, something more interesting about the room to be observed.

It was as if there was a dimensional line in between the two posts of the door. As Soujirou glanced around himself from within the room, he was genuinely surprised to see that the room was no longer an empty, roofless area enclosed by four plain walls.

The walls were still white, but in many areas around them, there were stacks and stacks of boxes and wooden crates. There were planks of wood inter-meshing with one another above him on the ceiling, woven against each other like a huge canopy of wooden cross-stitches. Light broke through this planked umbrella from the space between the hatches, its intensity drowning out most of the details in the room, until Soujirou had to shift into a position that put him under a shadowy area.

Once he did that, immediately the contents of the room became more observable. Besides the crates and boxes he had already seen in the brief moment of revelation when he stepped in, he now also saw that there was a door behind where Zheng was standing, probably leading to an important location. There was nothing else that was really fantastic about the room, so he returned his smiling glance to Zheng.

"How impressive!" Soujirou nodded in approval. "A labyrinth that uses optical illusions to disguise the most important areas as impenetrable walls!"

Zheng actually raised an eyebrow. "You figure it out quickly enough," she remarked.

"Oh, it really isn't anything I should be very proud of," Soujirou giggled. "It's a trick I've used before myself too," he said softly. The moment passed quickly, and he was back to his slightly tippy self. "I'm sure you didn't invite me in just to have friendly, sarcastic banter with me, did you?" He asked. "Well, even if you /did, I'll have to let you know that I don't seem to have enough time to chat with you, so if you have no business with me, I would really appreciate it if you could open the door and let me go back to my aimless wandering!"

The mafia girl, silent all the time while Soujirou monologued, spoke up. "You still refuse to leave Yukishiro Enishi?"

Of course, Soujirou had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Oh my, have we gone one big round just to return to square one?" He held a hand out. "How many times have I told you that Yukishiro-san and I are not exactly best of buddies ever since you first asked, Zheng-san?" He threw the question out.

"You stand on his side," Zheng rebutted.

"That doesn't say a lot, Zheng-san," Soujirou pointed out. "But anyway, if you mean to ask if I have changed my mind and will now work with you instead, then I am afraid my answer remains the same," he shook his head. "We am here to crush your organisation. Please do not stand in our way if you do not wish to get hurt."

This certainly did not sit well with the obstinate lady, whose temper flared and hit the sky immediately. "You do not know what is good for you!" She accused Soujirou, who simply kept smiling. "You could have averted a disaster to your lovely Kyoto city if you had come join us!" She swung her hands and hit something that looked like a button on the wall. The button gave a squeak of protest, and then the entire wall that was behind her, minus the door, started to sink into the flooring, revealing with great fanfare the vast sky and sea of treetops that resided behind it. This room they were in was situated right above a cliff overlooking the forest from a sheer drop.

Embedded into the slope of the unused mountain that was below the room, their sheer sizes making them protrude out of their hiding places, were massive cannons - mounted and aimed at the city that had been sworn to destruction by sunset.

"Now that's a little too much, don't you think?" Soujirou was half-offended and half-amused. "Just because of my rejection you try to toast an entire city and make enemies of an entire nation?" He shook his head. "I assure you lady, I'm not worth all that attention at all!"

"This is not about you," Zheng coolly stated. She pressed yet another button on the wall, and the sunken wall was raised again. "I just wish to let you see the doom of the city first before you meet /your/ doom." She sneered, and the wall closed itself in one with the ceiling ominously. "If you had agreed to join the Yuugure, then Yukishiro will be too distracted by your betrayal to fight. He will perish with great suffering! But since you refuse, then you, too, will perish with him!" She laughed, as if it was all very logical to her.

This time, Soujirou did roll his eyes. "Pray tell me, lady, what makes you think I will just stand here and let you have your way when I am in no way missing an arm or leg to resist or otherwise escape?"

"Of course you will not," Zheng sounded sure. Soujirou felt like turning away just to spite her, but her next words froze him on the spot. "If you don't want to be the one to trigger the cannons off." She pointed triumphantly at the area around his feet.

Soujirou could literally see the flash of wire in his eyes. He did not know how, but while he had been speaking with Zheng, wire strings had somehow found their way around his ankles, sticking so close to his feet that it would be difficult to escape their encirclement without touching at least one wire slightly. But even so, he wondered how seriously he should take Zheng's insinuations that these wires were somehow connected to the cannons that were facing Kyoto now.

And he voiced his hesitation out openly.

"I'm not sure if I can believe you, Zheng-san," Soujirou's smile was back in place, "but /you/ should believe me when I tell you this - Yukishiro-san certainly does not care if I stand on his side or your side! I find your superfluous planning to be rather amusing!"

Zheng had opened the door she had been leaning on, her hand hovering over yet another trigger-like device. "Is that what you really think?" She asked, quietly. "Or is that what Yukishiro wants you to think?"

There was a momentous second of silence.

"Will you tell me why the Yuugure are going to such an extent to try to monopolise the entire Japanese underground?" Soujirou prompted, when he realised he could not answer Zheng's previous questions.

The girl Zheng smirked. /For revenge/ she mouthed, without using her voice to say anything. Without giving Soujirou a chance to press on, she hit the trigger device and slipped away through the door, shutting it with a loud slam. The room shuddered.

In the next immediate moment, the walls on both sides of Soujirou burst open to reveal a new layer underneath. A layer that was decorated from top to bottom with rows upon rows of massive, sharp spikes that glinted evilly against the afternoon sun. The room shuddered again, and the the walls began moving inwards slowly, with a low, groaning sound.

"Oh my!" Soujirou exclaimed at nothing in particular, as he turned his head from side to side to assess the speed of the trap. He looked at his feet, then looked at the ceiling, very clear about his predicament, and clearer still about his escape plans. Pulling his sword out of its sheath, he held the blade close to his lips, feeling the coolness of the metal on them for that single instant. "Hiko-san... time to see how much of a genius you really are on the art of smithing!"

There was a loud whistle of metal cutting air. A string broke. Something metallic fell to the ground.

And from beneath the floor of the room Soujirou was in, a cannon went off, its mouth exploding in flames and smoke.

**—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
2/3/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd**

**uwaaaah! why isn't this thing getting anywhere near to the end yet! come on! move, plot, move!**


	53. 52: Fateful Reunion

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 52: Fateful Reunion

Kenji was standing on top of that particular cannon when it went off. The rocking of the huge weapon immediately pushed him off his feet, leaving him sitting on his butt on the barrel of the cannon, eyes wide with shock.

Somewhere else in the cannon room, Aoshi and Misao stopped tinkering with the wires that were attached to the modern looking shanks. They looked up at the boy, who looked back at them.

"What were you guys doing?" Kenji gulped while asking, offended yet afraid. "I was /almost/ about to go peek at the mouth of the cannon!"

Misao was the first to raise to her feet. Without a word, she hopped onto the same cannon Kenji was on - the one that had gone off, and raced towards its mouth, which was still smouldering. She took a deep breath, then bravely leapt into the smoke, latching onto the interior of the cannon without explanation.

Kenji took the pause to stand up and dust himself off. He turned to look questioningly at Aoshi, who had also stood up and was glancing around the room. Seeing that he would not be getting answers from the taller man, Kenji returned to staring at the distant end of the cannon, where Misao had last disappeared to. He found himself silently applauding her bravery. Not /every/ girl out there dared to leap head-first into a cannon barrel that had just gone off, after all.

"Aoshi-sama," Misao's voice could be heard before she could be seen, bursting out of the thick, billowing smoke. "The cannon wasn't mounted. There was nothing shot out of it except a lot of gunpowder and soot."

Aoshi simply nodded in acknowledgement. He carefully stepped over an unconscious body - they had had to knock several members of the underground organisation out before they had total access to the room - and walked closer to the cannon that had been triggered. He examined the apparatus that was attached to it, eventually breaking it apart to locate a single metal wire that was melded together with the internal mechanism core.

Holding the string in his hand, his eyes traced its path, eventually finding them vanishing into the roof of the room they were currently in. He pondered over the possibilities for a second.

In his moment of revelation, he removed a kodachi from his his long sheath and buried it deeply into the trigger device, right at its mechanical core.

The machine sputtered and sparkled, crackling in protest at the manhandling. Finally, it stopped flickering with light and energy, coming to a dead stop even before Aoshi twisted the blade and roughly pulled the sword back out. The man tossed his other kodachi to Kenji, who was hovering nearby.

"Disable all the machines in like manner," he commanded the boy, who nodded and quickly went to carry the instructions out. "Misao," Aoshi continued, "Make sure that all cannons are unloaded. And if they are, unload or otherwise disable them."

The female ninja nodded in acknowledgement. She turned back and leapt across barrels to study the cannons one by one, leaving Aoshi alone to ponder over their next step. He had the map of the room firmly imprinted in his mind, and as he stared at the floor, he considered the map very carefully from memory.

"Oji-san, I'm done!" Kenji suddenly sprung up from beside the concentrating Aoshi. Aoshi ignored the boy in favour of his thoughts. Having known the older man for all his life, however, Kenji knew better than to feel offended. "There's another cannon tower that is like this room somewhere in the other side of the maze," Kenji nevertheless decided to throw out suggestions from what he remembered of the map without needing to refer to it. "We should go disable it as well, right?"

"No," Aoshi's negative answer came almost immediately after Kenji asked, surprising the boy. It was around this time that Misao reappeared in the room again, her clothing and skin speckled all over with soot, but otherwise she was triumphant over the interior of the cannons. "No," Aoshi repeated, "Saitou should have taken care of that one already. We are going to break through the labyrinth and support Soujirou and Yukishiro." He stood, eyes already on the exit. "Before that, we need to bind up the few members of the Yuugure who are here," he gestured around the floor. "The police will handle them, once they arrive."

"Leave it to me, Aoshi-sama!" Misao chirped, and was quickly on her way to locate some strong ropes. Kenji and Aoshi watched her in flurried action for a while, then turned away, each to their own business.

"Oji-san," Kenji held the kodachi out, "your sword."

Aoshi merely gave the short sword a cursory glance. "Keep it," he eventually said. "You shouldn't walk around enemy territory without a proper weapon."

The young redhead could feel his temper flare up at the insinuation behind the words. He was about to protest loudly and insist that fingernails and teeth were rather potent weapons too if used properly, but Aoshi had already turned away towards the door. Stifling his complains, Kenji simply kept the sword, deciding that having something sharp was probably better than having nothing at all. As Misao finished tying up the last victim, Kenji followed Aoshi out of the door, stealing a glance back at the room they had just walked out from.

He wondered, not for the first time since getting involved in the entire affair, what the drove the Yuugure to pitting themselves vehemently against a nation. He knew there was more to the ploy of underground world domination than meets the eye. Now, they just had to figure out what that 'something more' was.

That 'something more' would be the key to certain victory, or certain doom.

—————————————————————

Enishi was the first to arrive at the grand entrance of the actual Yuugure hideout.

It was not that the bridge he had crossed put him in a strategically favourable position, he knew. If anything, he had probably walked for a longer distance than the most of them. After all, he took great pains to ensure that he visited nearly every weaponry storehold he could find in the labyrinth. Firstly to scare the people there. Secondly, to raid the store to see what was going on, and finally, to grab a few handy weapons, which were now hidden snugly beneath the several folds of his clothes and shoulder shawl.

So no, it was not that he had gotten a better position. It was simply just because that he saw through most of the optical illusions the Chinese had used to forge this labyrinth with, and could figure out those he did not know by using certain methods of deduction. He had not worked in the land for nothing for so many years before, after all!

Therefore he was not surprised to see that the hideout hall was empty of friends and foes alike, except for a single figure standing beside the only wall window in the room, staring out. Enishi recognised the figure, but did not make a reaction. He merely stepped into the big hall, and made his presence known.

"Lovely day isn't it," the figure - Ming, decided to start off the conversation, after the silence stretched and it became apparent that Enishi was not going to say anything anytime soon. "Just like it was when I first met you at Hiko-san's hut, wasn't it?"

Enishi stared pensively at Ming's back. "No," he finally said, ignoring the instant jerk of recognition in Ming's shoulders. "I think it was raining cats and dogs when I first met you and the others, Ming."

"You're..." Ming's voice was a raspy whisper. "Lao da! Leader!" He exclaimed, spinning around from the window and taking two unsure steps forward. "Lao da!" He repeated, when Enishi gave no reaction. "You're alive! You didn't die!"

While he had been wondering how to formulate a proper reply until just now, Enishi's head now throbbed with offense. "I thought I've always taught you not to say anything if you've got nothing better to say?" His voice was quiet but threatening, with threats of a violent death looming behind it. Ming immediately shut his mouth, many other rash words obviously wishing to make their way out.

"It's good to have you back with us, sir!" The leader of the Yuugure bowed deeply to Enishi, after having sorted out what he wanted to say to his ex-leader. Enishi observed this action of his with a frown.

"She didn't tell you," Enishi eventually said. Ming rose from his bow and one of his brows furrowed.

"'She'...?"

"That spitfire girlfriend of yours," Enishi snorted. "She already knew who I was when she saw me at the hut," he clarified. "I'd have expected her to tell you, but obviously she didn't." A shrug. "No big deal. What the hell happened to you anyway?" He pointed, although he knew Ming could not see. "You weren't like this the last time I saw you."

Ming simply bowed to acknowledge the question. Then he answered, "After your departure, Wu Heixin was appointed to look after the xiongdi - our fraternity. But Wu Heixin left without a word with his bodyguards, and news of his arrest soon reached our ears. At that moment, chaos immediately erupted. The seat of the leader was suddenly available for any who was strong enough to defeat all who wanted the throne." He paused. "I refused to let show you disrespect so soon after your supposed death - and without your sanction too. So I fought them all." At this, his lips curled up into a satisfied smile. "And I won."

"And he had to pay a heavy price for that victory," the shrill, unhappy voice of Zheng joined in the conversation. Part of the wall that was behind Ming opened sideways to reveal the girl, who stepped into the hall and closed the secret passage discreetly behind her. "He had to pay for the victory with his sight."

"It was worth it," Ming dismissed his disability with a taut wave of his hand, "as long as I can keep our boss' memories alive in everybody! But there is no need for that now!" Ming returned to facing Enishi with a bright, earnest smile on his face. "Lao da is back! We will prosper again! Please join us, lao da! We will take vengeance on all those people who have soiled your glorious name!"

"Ming, you are a fool!" Zheng screeched. "He has found another company! He no longer has need for us! That was why he left us all of a sudden back then, with no instructions, nothing at all! We were just his pawns! We were nothing else! Can't you see?"

"Silence!" Ming admonished with a loud roar. "How dare you speak such words after what you've done? Did it never occur to you that I should have been the first one you must report to when you saw the leader again and knew that he was alive? Do you know that you could be punished with death for that? Perhaps /you/ are the one who has found new company!"

"Ming..." Zheng's eyes were wide with disbelief and confusion. It was as if she she could not understand why the man did not agree with the wisdom behind her actions. Hardening her countenance, she whirled around and pointed sternly at Enishi. "You! You had better make things clear once and for all time!" She brought an agitated fist up to her chest. "Are you with us or are you against us? Speak up now!"

Immediately after her outburst, the sounds of the forest overwhelmed the room once more. It was an indication that no one spoke, nor wanted to speak - yet.

Enishi raised an eyebrow eventually.

"If I were really still your leader, have you any idea how dead you will be now, just for taking that tone on me?" He sneered smugly, when he saw the girl jump slightly at his almost-insinuation that it was possible he was considering retaking his position. "But," he was quick to add, "I'm not." He stated. "I'm not your leader," he repeated, "but that still doesn't mean you're going to get away for taking that tone with me." He took his sword by its hilt and pulled it out slowly, making sure the blade brushed noisily against the sheath. He tossed the sheath aside, the container clattering across the white, pattern-less flooring, coming to a stop only when it hit a similarly white wall.

"Lao da!" Ming immediately exclaimed, when he heard the drawing of the sword. "You can't be serious!"

"Ah, hell, I sure as anything am serious," Enishi had lost all his previous streaks of placating and mildness afforded to former comrades; choosing to don a stern expression. "We were once colleagues but you are now obstacles. You're all troublesome - obstructing me and disrupting my life. So you're all gonna have to go." To drive his point home, Enishi swung his sword downwards in one swift, sharp arc, exploding the flooring just beneath the blade's point of contact into thousands upon thousands of little pieces. "So," he glanced at the duo before him, "who wants to go first?"

Zheng was really about to lash out in verbal insults, if she had not realised that anything rash she did not would probably indicate that she wanted to fight her ex-boss, which she did not want to/yet/. "Do...don't you want to at least ask us why we're doing this?" She kicked herself mentally for stuttering, but knew it could not be helped. Being tongue-tied before one Yukishiro Enishi was something everybody in the gang could not stop.

No matter how comparatively mellow he may seem to be now.

For his part, Enishi seemed to consider the option of finding out more. Then he shrugged, figuring that relaying the message to Saitou was too much of a hassle. "You can tell the police chief yourself when he comes later." He raised his sword again. "My job is to eliminate this organisation called the Yuugure. Anything besides that," he bent his knees slightly, "I'm not interested."

With a sudden burst of speed, he reached his two stunned opponents and attacked, slightly miffed when both Ming and Zheng leapt cleanly out of his sword point. He paused and glanced at his two opponents, who appeared to have recovered from whatever stupor they had been in, and now faced him in a defensive stance.

Before he could turn them and attack again, however, Zheng burst out laughing.

It was not a laugh of mirth, that was for sure. There was certainly nothing funny, Enishi mused to himself, about this situation they had gotten themselves into. Her laughter started sharp and high, then slowly simmered down to sniggering and giggling. Even Ming looked perplexed at her unexpected action.

"You see, Ming?" She addressed her current boss with a superior tone. "He treats us like dust! He has /always/ treated us like dust! We weren't even his comrades! We were like playthings! Now that he's found new ones, he doesn't need us anymore! We're now /obstacles!" Her hysteria dissolved into yet another bout of sinister snickering. She did not immediately continue in her mad murmurings.

Ming stood silent for a while. He eventually straightened into a neutral pose. "Is that true, lao da?" He asked Enishi quietly.

Of course, Enishi would have replied, had he known what in the world his two crazy former subordinates were talking about. To him, it was all very logical. He left the gang, came to Japan and tried to exact Jinchuu on Himura Kenshin. Tried. Failed. The action of going away alone was enough to merit him traitorous, if not outright treacherous - for which serious mafia leader left without a word to pursue personal interests when the gang was at the peak of its power? This mafia leader was asking for his throne to be usurped, obviously, and Enishi knew he fit the bill to a T. So naturally, his subordinates would fight for his position. It was all to be expected. Enishi counted himself dead to his men the moment he left the grounds of mainland China.

Who could possibly be silly enough to fight to keep his throne for a dead man, anyway?

"You will never see Seta Soujirou again."

The next words from Zheng was like a sobering pail of water over Enishi's head. He glanced sharply at the slightly screw-loose girl, keeping his expressions poker.

"Seta Soujirou?" Ming's curiosity was piqued.

"Yes, Ming," Zheng's voice was full of venom and foreboding. "He is part of Yukishiro Enishi's new company. The company which he has gone to after abandoning us..." she trailed off, smirking triumphantly at Enishi. "...the company that is now seeking to destroy us."

It took a while before Ming finally said something that was somewhat above a whisper.

"She speaks the truth, doesn't she, lao da?"

Enishi considered his options. "Does it matter if she is?" He finally said, in the most sombre tone he had taken the entire time he had faced them. "Xue Dai Yuan died 15 years ago in his foray into Japan. You filled his position in with your own strength - good for you. You can keep it, because I sure as anything don't want it back." He shrugged.

"It's not about the gang!" Ming spoke, much louder than he usually did. "It's about us! We're loyal only to /you, lao da! We don't want to work under anybody but you! That's why I was angry!" He made a large, sweeping movement with his hands. "I was angry that Japan took you away from us! I wanted revenge! I wanted to bring the whole nation to its knees for what it has done! It wasn't possible when we first started, but now the dream is becoming reality!" He gestured at the unmoving Enishi. "Come back and join us, lao da! We'll destroy this place and build our own nation from its debris!"

For a long while, it was just Enishi at Ming, expressions impeccably unreadable. When he next spoke, his voice carried a slight tone of incredulity.

"Is your head so full of yourself that you can't think of anything else already?" The older man asked. "I'm standing in front of you, am I not?" He questioned, but continued without allowing anyone to answer. "Then why are you talking about revenge as if I'm buried somewhere on the mainland, six feet underground?" He snorted, shifting his weight around angrily. "Don't kill me off! I'm alive and well! So there's nothing for you to take revenge against. Unless, of course," he sneered, "your agenda has never been about revenge in the first place. You were out to assert your power using my name right from the start, weren't you?"

"What nonsense!" Zheng spat immediately.

"But it's true," Enishi shrugged. "It doesn't matter if I'm still your boss or not. It /shouldn't/ matter. I'm still breathing. Japan has done nothing to me. And even after knowing all this, you ask me to join you in your silly quest for revenge and world domination." He shook his head. "If you're not power-hungry, tell me what you are? Seeking revenge for me is out of the question since I'm /alive/. Don't tell me you're trying to make the world a better place? With arms and weaponry?" A low snigger. "You have to try harder than that, boy. How about free food instead?"

The earnesty in which Enishi had asked the last question almost bowled Ming completely over. "You've changed," the young mafia leader remarked wryly. "You're no longer focused on your revenge that you once said was your life."

Enishi eyed him squarely. "And so? So you're gonna help me carry out what I left behind?" He laughed. "Do me a favour... do yourself a favour, and just forget it." The glint in his eye turned wistful. "Been there, done that." He spoke calmly, quietly. "You get nothing in the end. Nothing at all." Raising his eyes to look at the duo before him again, he stressed that, "I know how revenge works better than any of you do."

Although the man smiled, it was not a happy smile. And he said nothing else in conclusion.

"Will you join us for our sake then?" Ming was persistent. "Lead us in any way you want. The organisation is at your call!"

"I think you misunderstand," Enishi readied his sword again. "I am still very focused. I am very focused on leading my own way of life. And because all of you are standing in my way, you all have to go. I'm not going to change just because you asked me to. Don't make me repeat myself!"

"But how would you know if you wouldn't like it better if you come to our side?" Ming pressed on.

"Because unlike you," Enishi replied, "I live for myself. I know what I want." He finished off with a loud, noisy sigh. "I hope we're quite done with the small talk. If you still don't see my point, then there's just only one last thing left to do." He pointed the tip of his sword directly at Ming.

"We settle this the good old-fashioned way."****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
9/3/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

move, plot, move! no wait, stop! STOP! why are you always veering off into some other path that you shouldn't be veering off in! WAAH! T.Tx 


	54. 53: Undead

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 53: Undead

"You won't be able to deal with us with just that one sword of yours," Zheng confidently stated, pointing a finger at Enishi. And true to her claims, before Enishi could say something smart-ass in reply, she whistled sharply, pinching her lower lip with her fingers. The shrill alarm seemed to reach everywhere, for in the next second, legions and legions of masked Yuugure men seemed to evaporate in from the most secret passages of the room. From the walls, to the ceilings, to even from under the tiles.

Enishi was only mildly interested. He waited until the last Yuugure underling apparently slipped into the room, and watched as they slowly formed a circle around him, each with a favoured weapon, bladed, forked, barreled or otherwise.

"The principle of leaving no stone unturned was what you taught us," Zheng sneered in a triumphant little voice. "It may seem like a bit of overkill to order so many people to take you down, but it was necessary to ensure your demise. Good day/lao da," she saluted, then attended to Ming and started to lead him down a secret door.

Enishi had, by this time, finished assessing the predicament he was in. This was evidenced by his looking up and pining both Ming and Zheng with his cold, hard glare. "Do you really think you could trick me with the illusions I taught you?" At this, the duo trying to sneak away jumped slightly in surprise, but said and did nothing. Enishi slowly raised his sword. "You'd both better be bloody far away when I'm done here, because unlike my childish partner, I hold nothing back in the name of mercy."

He swiped at the first man who dared fire a gunshot at him, defecting the bullet and sending it ricocheting against the wall. It stopped bouncing when it hit someone in the flesh, evoking a soulful cry of pain from the victim.

Zheng laughed, half out of fear and half out of agitation. "Seta Soujirou is dead!" She exclaimed indignantly.

"Hah," Enishi nonchalantly kicked someone who had gotten too close to him in the face. "Injured: likely, dismembered: probably, bruised in several places: believable, maimed in vital areas: highly possible. And all because he's too wishy-washy to say no. But oh," he flicked his sword and defected yet another bullet, "if you ever do let me find out that you have somehow rendered him disabled, make /sure/ you /never/ show youselves before me again," the sudden rush of cold, murderous aura he unleashed was strong enough to knock many unsteady and frightened men off their feet. "I won't be responsible for what happens to you after that."

"Save those wise words for yourself!" Zheng rebutted, but her voice was already shaking. It was not the first time she had had to face her ex-leader's wrath. And she really hoped that it would be the last. "On him, men!" She screeched, then vanished behind the secret door quickly and quietly.

Her timely command appeared to wake the many men up from their trance-like admiration of Enishi's ability to defect rapid bullets with just a sword. They moved into a certain formation, but Enishi did not even bother to glance at them.

He slowly unholstered one of the short guns he had hijacked from the stores he had visited prior to coming here. There was no fanfare in his actions. If anything, he checked and examined the contraption slowly and deliberately, very much unlike someone surrounded from all sides would do.

Finally, he looked up sharply, in a certain direction. There was a mass of people gathered there, possibly wondering what he was up to. He took aim, ignoring the startled and flustered looks on the people's faces. They had obviously not been told that their enemy would have a gun as well. Pulling the safety on the gun, Enishi smirked.

And he fired.

There was no painful holler, for the bullet whizzed through the mass of people gathered there - as if they were never there in the first place. It passed through their bodies like it was passing through mere thin air, and all eyes were upon the travelling bullet in mild horror and fascination. The thing eventually reached its target undisturbed.

It struck a portion of one of the white walls. Or, what was supposed to be a white wall. The white wall portion shattered into a million little mirrored glass fragments, falling and scattering onto the ground with melodious tinkering and some mild cracking sounds.

This action alone immediately eliminated one third of the men who were surrounding Enishi. They flickered, then vanished into thin air - gone because the media which was channeling them had just been destroyed.

In the next moment, Enishi fired four more shots, obliterating the rest of the hidden mirrors in the room and reducing what was previously at least one hundred men in the room to five, excluding himself. "Much better!" He nodded. "A hundred against one was a bit too hitting below the belt, even for me. Not to mention the mirrors were really starting to get on my nerves." He blew the smoke that was steaming up from through its barrel coolly away.

Then he grinned maniacally at his opponents, the majority of which were already shaking in their knees. "Okay, I have one last bullet left in this gun," he politely informed them. "Who wants to be the first to go?"

—————————————————————

Zheng flung open the doors to the innermost chamber in the labyrinth, flustered and panting. She guided a very quiet Ming in, then shut the doors, bolting it tightly and testing desperately that they were locked. Satisfied with her conclusion, she turned to find that Ming had already seated himself down on one of the lavish couches spread around the spacious room. This was probably one of the only rooms in the labyrinth which had a proper roof that was not otherwise open or riddled with holes, therefore granting the dweller a certain measure of comfort from the ravages of nature.

Nature, of course, was possibly the last thing on either of the mafia's minds at the moment.

"He won't find us here," Zheng informed, slipping back into her native tongue. Straightening herself and her sleeves, she walked to where Ming sat, mulling over his own thoughts. "We designed this particular room with new formulas that he does not know about."

"That is not what I am worried about, Zheng," the quiet man finally spoke up. "Tell me, who is this 'Seta Soujirou' the both of you kept talking about?"

"You have already made his acquaintance," Zheng explained. "He is the young sounding fellow who guided us around Hiko's hut the other time."

"I see," Ming continued pondering over something. "Lao da seems to care for him. Much more than for us at any rate."

"You finally see my point, Ming!" Zheng exclaimed in relief. "You see! Yukishiro does not care about us! So there is no need for us to continue fighting in his name. You should stand up and claim the throne for yourself! Then we can"

"Enough, Zheng," Ming quietly admonished. "I am thinking that perhaps lao da is right. Perhaps I have really been blinded, not just in the eye, but by power as well."

Zheng was immediately indignant. "You fought for your position and you deserve to stand where you are standing now!"

"But you forget," Ming said. "We will not be standing, if he had not given us a hand back then."

Zheng looked to a side, silent.

"Tell me," Ming continued seamlessly, "what we can do to get lao da back to our side."

Zheng resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Knowing the temper of her superior, however, she wisely kept her comments about this matter to herself. With an evil smirk that she knew Ming could not see, she leaned over, putting what seemed like a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She asked, "Will you do whatever it takes?"

"Of course!" Ming stated confidently. Foolishly.

"Then you will fire at Kyoto with the cannons at once," Zheng immediately commanded, although still in a submissive tone. When she saw Ming's look of apprehension, she explained, "It is rather obvious that this nation he once hated has now become something of sentimental value to him. No matter how much he seems nonchalant or unattuned to the mere idea, the truth will always be true. If we can somehow make his objects of sentimental value turn against him, then he will come back to us - so long as we remain his loyal supporters throughout this whole ordeal." Her evil grin stretched wider across her face, but Ming simply nodded with agreement at her double-edged words.

"How do suggest we turn these objects of sentimental value against him, then?" Ming asked, seemingly falling for the plan.

"We wipe out his entire company," Zheng's voice was sweet, but her face was sinister. "Then we take on Japan. And then we find someway to prove to these people that /lao da/ was wholly responsible for everything that happened. They will turn against him," there was a glint of satisfaction in Zheng's eyes at her plans, "and we will be glad to have him back." The expression on her face, however, said something else entirely.

Ming raised a rather doubtful eyebrow. He could feel that Zheng was indeed emanating a rather serious aura, but there was something not quite right about it. At the same time, his desire to see his former leader restored to him overrode any form of sensibility he had left from since his last encounter with Enishi. "Very well," Ming gestured. "Since you already seem to have an idea of where we are heading, you may do as you wish."

"Yes, sir," Zheng was happy to respond.

But before the duo could celebrate their new plan, a small chuckle - a voice that was neither Ming's nor Zheng's - broke out from a shadowy corner of the room. Both of them immediately turned in that direction, aghast that they were not aware there was anyone else in the room until the chuckling. As they watched on, a familiar figure stepped into the lighted area and made his presence known with a bright, giddy smile.

"Hello everybody!" Soujirou waved happily. "I couldn't help but overhear your entire conversation just now, since you guys were so comfortable in my presence to speak about your plans of world domination as if I wasn't here at all! But not to worry! My knowledge of the Chinese language is so limited that I could not understand what in the world you were talking about! Your plans remain safe!"

"Seta Soujirou!" Zheng screeched, as if she had just seen a ghost. "How...how are you still alive!"

"Aww, that's a little too harsh, don't you think?" Soujirou walked closer. "I /like/ being alive quite well, thank you very much," he grinned. "Though I'm not too sure," he stepped completely into the lighted area of the room, and the eager gleam on the blade of his sword could now be seen in its full glory, "if you feel the same way I do."

That was all they saw and heard of Soujirou's introduction. Without a trace of where he could have gone to, Soujirou vanished from before the duo.

"Ming, he's gone!" Zheng whispered quietly but urgently to her leader, who nodded to indicate that he was aware. Before he could answer her and tell her what to do, the floor beside him suddenly exploded into a foot-sized crater, causing him to follow his instincts immediately, pushing Zheng to one side while throwing himself to the other.

After their separation, they quickly got onto their feet, surprised and flustered at the suddenly ferocity of attack. Soujirou blurred slowly into view as the smoke dissipated. He stood in a half crouch, his sword buried in the floor - the solid, hard-packed floor that was not made of wood or any of its derivatives - half its length having went right through during his attack.

He stood, pulling the sword out of the floor effortlessly, and he hopped backwards three steps so he could see the duo in one glance. The blunt side of the sword rested on his shoulder. He smiled at his audience. Wordlessly, he started hopping on one foot.

"Who are you?" Ming finally asked, amazed beyond words.

"Oh, my name? My name is Seta Soujirou! But you already know that. Pleased to meet you again!" Soujirou sang out, and upon his last word, vanished into thin air one more time. It was all Ming could do, to draw out one of the swords decorating the room's wall and deflect Soujirou's cunningly strong attack, which, if it had hit, would have costed Ming his entire left leg.

For long moment, Ming had to use his full strength to get control of the flow of the situation. Once he found slight control, he used the chance to throw Soujirou away, taking a step back from the sheer energy he had to use. Before he even had a chance to catch his breath, however, Soujirou found his ground, and burst forward in yet another lightning fast attack. Ming quickly sidled himself against the wall, so that only the side that held the sword met Soujirou head-on. He swung the sword in his hand forward, knowing where Soujirou was about to strike by the direction of the wind.

There was a loud clashing sound, followed by the screech of a metal blade being broken into two.

Ming held his sword up, agape. He could not see, but he could feel that his sword had suddenly gotten two times lighter. The blade that had broke was his sword's, and he could not help but marvel at how it could have happened. He travelled far and wide to collect the best, strongest, sturdiest swords the world had to offer. A common thug could not have broken it so easily with a generic sword.

Perhaps his opponent was not so common after all.

Soujirou had overshot Ming, having rushed at the man for the last attack at a rather high speed. He stopped, turned and prepared to take the opportunity of Ming's surprise over his broken blade to finish his job of capturing the mafia leader before Enishi found them; boy was Enishi going to throw a hissy fit about inefficiency again if Soujirou took too long to do this. Just as he was about to move forward, however, he sensed something fast and small coming towards him, aimed directly at his right temple. His eyes narrowed, and while he did push himself off his feet to dash, instead of going forward, he went backwards.

The rain of bullets that embedded themselves into the wall in front of him informed him as to what a smart choice he had just made.

Ming did not need to be told what to do. He moved, and was quickly back in the immediate presence of Zheng again. The girl was throwing away the handgun she had just been using. She whipped out a new one from the large box beside her, a smirk on her face. Pulling the safety, she lifted the gun above her head, then slowly lowered it so that the barrel now looked at Soujirou eye to eye.

"I don't know how you managed to escape the wall spike sandwich," she began, "but it doesn't matter. You will die here and now, and then we will bring your bloody corpse out to Yukishiro." She laughed to herself at this point of time. "And then maybe he will learn a thing or two."

"Somehow I highly doubt that." Soujirou disagreed with a grave and wise tone of voice. But he put his sword back into its sheath, pulling the entire weapon out from the drawstrings of his hakama. "But let's see who will be the one to learn a thing or two, shall we?" He tilted his head, welcoming the challenge.

A vein throbbed on Zheng's forehead. She gave a roar of anger and frustration.

After which, for a while, nothing but gunpowder and flying bullets could be heard, rattling across the walls of the room, breaking up the floor and riddling the ceiling with holes.****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
16/3/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

My dream of finishing it at 55 is to be shattered before my eyes. ;.;x let's try for 60 instead! whee! 


	55. 54: Unspoken Promises

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 54: Unspoken Promises

When Kenji, Aoshi and Misao arrived at the grand hall room, where Enishi was, he was just skewering the last opponent he had against his very long sword, and throwing him across the room. The by then unconscious man flew limply into the entrance, directly into the incoming Kenji.

The redhead gave a yelp of surprise and instinctively threw a punch into what he thought was an object of attack. The sheer force of his punch sent the poor man flying back the way he came from, which Enishi sidestepped casually, so that the man joined the rest of his comrades, who were sprawled all across the floor of the arena, out cold.

Kenji had effectively sealed off the only entrance into the room by standing frozen in position against the doorframe. Behind him, trapped and unable to enter, Aoshi remained silent, whereas Misao then kicked him between his shoulders, causing him to tumble forward with a yelp of pain.

The boy's screech broke the spell of silence. "What took you guys so long?" Enishi asked, miffed, as he wiped his sword against a clean patch of clothing on one of the fallen men. After a while of wiping, he was satisfied with the cleanliness of his sword, and sheathed it.

"We were disabling the cannons in the lower level," Aoshi informed, stepping into the room and glancing around it. For quite some time, he did nothing but keeping looking at the four corners of the room. Then he returned his evaluating glance to looking at a vague spot before him. "I see." He muttered, quite cryptically. "So this is how they used such a small space to create such a huge labyrinth."

Kenji and Misao both stared at him with question. Only Enishi seemed to know what he was talking about. The white-haired man snorted and said, "Glad you've got that all figured out." As if he had just noticed the trio for the first time, he looked at them seriously. "Where are the rest?" He demanded to know.

"Saitou and Soujirou have gone on ahead of us," Aoshi informed. "Kamatari and Chou are staying behind to bring the rest of the police reinforcements in. We have left them some signs to follow."

"And you would know this place well enough to leave signs, wouldn't you?" Enishi raised an eyebrow of incredulity.

"We have a map," Kenji stated.

Enishi stared at him.

"Well... a silver fox gave it to me, and so far it's been accurate, so..." For some reason, the boy suddenly felt like explaining himself, under Enishi's scrutiny. "Aah! Come on! Who cares where we got it from! It just /works, and that's it, okay! Stop staring at me like that!"

"Who the hell said I was going to ask you were you got the map from?" Enishi frowned. He stalked up to Kenji, and stared down at the slightly petrified boy. "...what are you doing here?" He pointed. "I remember I explicitly asked the old ego guy to keep you /away/ from this!"

"Never!" Kenji stomped his foot on the ground, hard. "Who do you think you are? You can't control my life like that! And it's not like Hiko-san's ever going to listen to /you/ anyway!"

Of course, that earned him a well-timed punch on the head from the straight-faced Enishi. Kenji fell face-first to the ground with an indignant squawk. He said nothing more.

"Let me see the map," Enishi held his hand out to Aoshi. Aoshi pointed at the ground, where Kenji was lying prostrate on. Enishi glanced once at the redhead, then swiftly bent down to rummage through his sleeves. The scroll was not difficult to find, since it itself was a rather bulky item. And since Kenji carried virtually nothing else anyway. Once he had relieved the boy of his burden, Enishi put the map on the ground, and unrolled it from end to end, with great force.

It was a rather long scroll, which measured nearly the length of a full grown man when completely laid flat on the ground as it was now. Enishi glanced once at the pictorial map, then moved immediately to the myriads of small Chinese scribbles that decorated a major half of the scroll. He looked upon it with deep concentration.

"I hadn't seen those small words in the scroll before," Kenji remarked, rubbing the sore bump on his forehead as he did. Aoshi frowned, realising that he, too, had not seen it when he was looking at the scroll earlier.

"You probably didn't," Enishi agreed, and for once, was not snide about his comrades' shortcomings. "It's protected by an adhesive that only comes off when you give it a decisive tug. Usually people don't go around tugging ancient looking scrolls like these."

By this time, Aoshi had stepped over and was looking at the badly scribbled, tightly packed words as well. "Shinomori, how many towers did you disable?" Enishi piped, when he had nearly reached the end of the document.

"One," Aoshi replied, still reading. "And Saitou, I believe, has destroyed another one."

"Lovely," Enishi stood, stretched and glanced around. "You left out three other towers."

"Three!" Kenji gasped. "That's impossible! The map only has two indicated on it!"

"I don't think you were looking at the map in its full application, Kenji," Misao mildly reminded. "There must be some mention of other things that wasn't drafted on the map in the hidden text."

"Which, unfortunately, you couldn't have made heads or tails of even if you had seen it anyway," Enishi smirked at him, while Kenji growled back.

"Well, what /does/ it say then, smart guy?" The boy pouted, one step short of sticking his tongue out at the infuriating man called Enishi.

"There are three more," it was Aoshi who next spoke. "They are layered against one another. We completely missed them. Two other rooms are are only accessible from the first layer of cannon rooms. The last room has to be accessed from somewhere else." He stood as well, and shot Enishi a glance, as if seeking his agreement on the matter.

Enishi simply nodded. He put a finger to his temple and counted something on his other hand, thumb against fingers. "Saitou probably doesn't know about this, so he won't be searching for the next layer. Someone else has to do it. If you take on all three towers as a group, you won't make it in time for sunset. You're going to have to split up and each of you take one tower."

"One person on an entire tower?" Kenji tried hard not to gawk.

"Got a problem, shrimp?" Enishi sneered.

"No!" Kenji blushed, and really stuck his tongue out at Enishi this time. In the midst of his embarrassment, his mind came to grind down on him about something. "Hey," he addressed Enishi in a calmer voice, "what about you? You're not coming along with one of us?"

Enishi shot him a strange glance. "I have some other business to attend to," he declared quietly. Walking towards a certain corner of the room, he began to examine the wall there with great interest. He did not explain his words.

"Come on, Kenji," Misao pat the boy on his shoulder, pulling his attention away from staring at Enishi. The redhead looked at his senior, who jerked a finger towards the exit. "We have to get going if we still want to see Kyoto tomorrow. Aoshi-sama has already sent a pigeon messenger to inform Jiiya, but I doubt he would be able to do anything about it in such little time, so," she pat him on the shoulder again, "it's our call entirely!"

Kenji glanced at the ground with a slight frown. Responsibility had never been his forte.

"We shall see you back at this room when we are done," Aoshi's authorative voice informed Enishi, and he turned to exit the room immediately, without seeing Enishi's gesture of acknowledgement. Slowly, but surely, the trio began to file out of the room, shuffling along reluctantly in spite of the situation. It was as if there was something more to be said in this situation - something that would at least bring a suitable closure to this particular episode of their chance meeting.

And yet nobody wanted to say anything.

Because they would be seeing each other again later.

Right?

—————————————————————

Soujirou breathed a small sigh of relief, when he noticed that Zheng had run out of bullets - again. He stopped batting flying metal away and landed on his feet lightly, watching with amusement as Zheng discarded the used weapon into a steadily increasing pile beside her. "Zheng-san, that is quite an awful waste of materials, don't you feel?" He pointed out nicely, but was reciprocated with a growl from the woman.

"Silence!" She was shrieking. Pulling out a weapon that was the length of her entire arm, she loaded the item and pulled its safety. Nearly half the weapons in the huge box had been depleted, yet none of the bullets had hit Soujirou, and she was growing frustrated and angry. The bullets, however, had found their ways out through the ceiling, walls, and ground, creating more than one hole in the enclosure, letting in sporadic streams of light which danced to every movement by the people in the room. "This one'll pound you into mincemeat for sure!"

"That's what you've been saying since ten weapons ago!" Soujirou lamented. Zheng's vein throbbed with rage. Oblivious, Soujirou continued, "You should really stop wasting materials like this! Have some pity for this nice room!"

"Shut up, impudent boy!" Zheng pulled the trigger on the massive weapon, and a huge bullet, the size of five fingers combined, shot out from the barrel, travelling near soundspeed directly towards Soujirou, who remained rooted on the spot, with no indication that he would be moving. Zheng's lips slowly curled up into a sadistic grin. No one could run from a bullet at such near range, no matter how fast that person was!

In the next instance, however, the bullet suddenly, miraculously vanished into thin air. Zheng blinked at the sight before her. She had not seen Soujirou do anything, nor did she see the huge bullet she had shot anywhere around. She glanced around, cold sweat breaking out of her forehead. She had a feeling she did not want to know.

And her feeling was right.

"Hmm..." Soujirou looked at the bullet he had managed, with his bare hands, to catch. "...it doesn't look all that fantastic at closer glance, huh? Just a piece of small metal that uses speed to injure. And it's not even sharp!" He tapped at the rounded tip of the shiny ammunition. "I really don't understand how you intend to take over the world with this. But, since I don't intend to take over the world or anything, I suppose I have no need to understand!" After chirping his final statement, he tossed the bullet behind his shoulder, and the item clattered harmlessly on the ground, sliding far away from him. He walked forward, towards Ming and Zheng, a smile firmly on his face.

"He is a monster!" Zheng muttered to herself in her native tongue, preparing to fire another shot at him, unwilling to believe that her weapon would fall so easily. It was only Ming's hand on hers that stopped her from taking any further action. "Ming!" She frowned at him. "We must take him out now or he will be very troublesome in the future!"

"I know," Ming whispered back. "But it's useless," he declared, "firing at him straight on will be useless. We will never hit him that way. Let me battle with him at close-distance. You should be able to find a chance to shoot him down from there!"

"You're planning something very bad for me there, aren't you?" Soujirou pouted, because he had not understood a single word his two opponents had spoken all the time. The duo continued speaking in quiet whispers to each other, so Soujirou sighed. "Well, if you're not attacking me anymore," he drew his sword back out from the sheath, which he had been using to bat bullets away all this while, "then I'll just have to start attacking you!"

The moment he vanished, Ming and Zheng immediately leapt away from their previous discussion spot - and just in time, too, for the entire area there exploded - with a sickening popping sound, into debris and cracked walls in the next split second.

Ming immediately dashed forward to catch Soujirou before he rebounded off. He had been assessing the situation since Zheng started firing the shots from just now, and was fairly confident that he had a good grasp now of what Soujirou's ability was. Although he could not see, his other senses were so heightened that he no longer needed sight to battle an opponent successfully. Soujirou's strength was in speed, he knew. If he could at least keep that particular quality at bay, all he had to worry about would be Soujirou's skill with the sword.

His first swing met thin air, as Soujirou had ran up the wall and subsequently against the ceiling. The wanderer stopped there, holding his sword against his body and using the roof and gravity to send himself downwards. With a sudden twist of his body, he almost cut Ming's left hand off - from shoulder down, had Ming not swing himself out of Soujirou's sword range in time.

The two warriors both landed back on the ground and took immediate steps backwards, each to decide what he would next do. Ming certainly took a longer time, for by his next shifting of weight, he could sense that Soujirou had vanished into some other worldly realm of speed again.

It was only the pre-emptive movement of wind that informed Ming where Soujirou would next strike. He brought his own weapon - yet another random sword on the wall - up and heard it clash against the sharp blade of Soujirou's. But Soujirou was not the type who would cringe swords with his enemy. Seeing that his attack had been neutralised, the boyish wanderer immediately leapt back into a speedy maneuver, thrusting his sword in from another angle; nearly impossible to block if Ming had not been a seasoned warrior himself hardened by years of first hand experience.

Their dance of attack and defence continued in a flurry of movement which Zheng admitted she could hardly keep up with. Having had her share of life-risking fights, she found this situation rather confounding. Time and again she took aim with her gun, but she could not find a spot that was opened enough to sidle a bullet attack in. She tried to calm down, but her inability was getting to her. She shook her head, trying to concentrate. It was do or die.

In the next few moments, however, several rather interesting things happened.

Ming stopped defending all of a sudden, surprising even Soujirou, who swerved instinctively, just in time to miss sliding his sword right through the mafia boss' heart. As a result, the blade went cleanly through the man's left shoulder, and Soujirou was thrown off guard for a split second at this sudden development.

At this point of time, Ming shouted something at Zheng, and Zheng had not needed to be told twice.

She pulled the trigger on her gun. A loud shot resounded in the ears of everyone present.

Including Enishi, who had just walked into the room via the secret tunnel Ming and Zheng had been using just now.****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
23/3/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

a/n  
the ancient chinese war chronicles document certain war formations that troops employ in battle against the enemy. these formations seemingly bend time and space to their will, but are actually just cleverly set up optical illusions. for example, they could make people feel like they are moving uphill when in fact they are moving downhill by manipulating the water stream and certain landmarks.

imagine! you're moving uphill and the water is streaming uphill along with you! the tricks they use mainly play with the enemy's mind, often causing them to become too tired or dispirited to fight. of course, whether or not these war formations really existed or not is certainly a point of debate. but hey, all for the sake of dramatics! not like anyone ever complains whenever soujirou breaks the speed of sound anyway, right? XD 


	56. 55: Unspeakable

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH AT END OF STORY._

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 55: Unspeakable

The entire room remained frozen in position until the echoes of the gunshot dissipated into nothingness.

Soujirou grit his teeth in silent pain, his free hand reaching out to hold the new bullet sized hole through his lower right thigh, injured near the knee. With quite a bit of difficulty, he rapidly withdrew his sword from Ming's left shoulder, causing the man to be momentarily distracted with the searing pain.

Once his sword was completely free, he stepped backwards and leapt as far away as he could, finding solace near a stack of crates, using it as a shield between Zheng's weapon trajectory to himself. He kept his awareness at peak level, but the pain was beginning to interfere with his thinking.

Looking down at his legs, he realised that he had to stop the blood from gushing out before he could consider doing anything else. This seemed highly impossible, considering there were two enemies in the room out for his neck. He doubted if they were give him a break of any sort. Not especially when he was slightly more disabled now.

Soujirou cursed internally at his predicament, trying to sneak a peek out of the space in between the crates. He had also suffered another bloody wound to the left ankle from his previous encounter with the spiked walls, and though he had bandaged that one up already, it was starting to throb in painful synchronisation with the new wound.

Though it was truly a miracle that he had escaped with just an ankle wound against those walls, he knew.

After removing the trigger wires that had entangled themselves with his feet, he had to quickly tie them to new holders, so that the cannons were not triggered. That did not work completely, as he knew he heard at least one cannon go off. But by the time he was done with those, he only had a narrow yet long space left to traverse in record time that, had he succeeded, would have made Shishio very proud of him.

Or perhaps the narrow space was yet another one of the mafia's optical illusions.

No matter what it was, by the time he had reached the hidden door and struck it down with a Shuntensatsu, the walls had closed in completely, goring his left ankle from both sides while they were at it. He had to hack down a couple of spikes, then pull them out of his foot to salvage the situation. And to the mafia's credit, but to Soujirou's absolutely horror, he then found out that the spikes were smeared from tip to tip with poison as well.

After tending to the wound to the best of his ability - removing the poison and binding it up, Soujirou had set off with his borrowed time to defeat the mafia bosses as soon as possible. He had really hoped to finish his job in the shortest time possible, because the longer he dragged the battle, the more disadvantageous it was for him. It looked like that plan had not worked out all that well after all. It was time for a new line of thought.

"Oi, Tenken!" The previously droning voice in the background suddenly jumped sharply into focus, scaring Soujirou out of his wits and causing him to nearly leap out of his skin. Enishi was perched on a crate above, looking down at him with an irate expression on his face. "I've been calling for you since just now. What's gotten into you?"

"Umm..." Soujirou's head reeled. "Bullet wound to the leg?" He pointed.

Enishi's first reaction was to blinked. Then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Who are you and what have you done with Tenken no Soujirou?"

The younger wanderer resisted the urge to poke the tip of his sword into Enishi's eye there and then. "It's a long story, Yukishiro-san." A pang of sharp pain jolted through his foot, as the residue poison started working up again. "What happened to the both of them?" He asked, as he slowly got to his feet with the help of the crates that surrounded him.

Enishi tilted his head slightly in a random direction. Looking there, Soujirou saw that Ming and Zheng were both somewhat out cold on the ground. At least, he could tell that they were not exactly moving about. This caused the heavy weight upon his shoulders to be lifted. He welcomed this respite gladly. Slowly, quietly, he limped into an area where he knew had more light, so that he did not need to explain his situation further to Enishi.

The white-haired wanderer stared for a very long time. "Long story indeed," he shook his head to indicate that he did not want to know. "Sit down," Enishi gestured at the wall behind. "We need to get that bullet out first before you can bandage the thing up."

"I don't think there's a bullet in there, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou tried to laugh, but ended up coughing. He pointed to the wound, "The thing went right through my leg. Wasn't it sweet of them? I've got a nice new orifice on my body!"

"And you will be getting another one soon, if you don't shut up and sit down right now," Enishi's threat was coupled with the steady metallic 'shing!' of a blade being pulled out of its sheath. Figuring that now was really not a good time to be picking on a fight with Enishi, Soujirou quickly did as told. He could squabble with Enishi when he was more healthy and actually had a chance of outrunning the white-haired man after pressing a button or two.

"All right, Yukishiro-san, all right already," Soujirou winced, as he struggled to sit against the wall without aggravating his wounds too much. It took a while, but he succeeded eventually. "It just hurts a lot, but I don't think I'm going to die from it. Remember the one that almost got my heart five years ago? Now /that/ is what I'd call a real close shave!" He beamed.

"I would punch you, if you weren't already so injured," Enishi growled. Soujirou simply grinned in response. After checking through both wounds, Enishi snatched a roll of bandages out from under his overcoat. He gave it to Soujirou, who then tended to the wound on his thigh. While he did that, Enishi looked at the injury on the ankle. "Where the hell did this one come from?"

"Some room with a lot of spikey walls," Soujirou shrugged, not noticing that Enishi's face grew steadily darker. "It's amazing, all these Chinese optical illusion tricks! I would never have found that room if I hadn't been marking the way I came!"

"That means you've been poisoned."

"Well, I was," Soujirou nodded in agreement. "But I've removed the poison methodologically." He glanced questioningly at Enishi. "How did you know? I never told you about the poison."

Enishi said nothing, until he finished unwrapping the by now bloodied bandages around Soujirou's ankles, and spied upon the wound, confirming that the poison had been purged. "I designed most of the traps in this labyrinth," he eventually muttered, under Soujirou's curious, watchful eye. "Including that one. A long time ago."

It did not take a genius to figure out which particular one Enishi was referring to. Soujirou stifled a giggle. "That's a strange way to be admitting you're feeling guilty over my injury, Yukishiro-san!" He said, loudly and brightly. Enishi glared at him feebly - feeble, compared to his usually lethal ones, and slapped him on the injured ankle, causing his partner's cheering to become a hoot of excrutiating pain.

Standing up while Soujirou retracted his foot in pain, Enishi threw another roll of bandages down to Soujirou. "Since you're so full of energy, you can fix your ankle yourself!"

"Don't worry, Yukishiro-san, I intend to do just that," Soujirou had caught and unrolled the bandages, slowly bringing his ankle to within distance of his outstretched hands. "You're much too sour for your own good, Yukishiro-san! Cheer up before you get wrinkles! And you're nowhere near wrinkle-age yet, too!"

"Hanging out around you, it'll be a miracle if /Kenji/ doesn't get wrinkles," Enishi snorted. He took a look around the room. "/This/ room I have never planned before." He walked up to the walls and furniture randomly, to take a closer look at them. "I'll see if there are any traps to disable. In the meantime, if you're well enough, you could help look around for incriminating documents for Saitou. We shouldn't make this a wasted trip."

While he said this, he poked at a portion of the wall, and with a mechanical sound, three arrows shot out from the opposite wall, directly at Enishi's head. Soujirou watched with surprise and admiration as Enishi simply side-stepped coolly, causing the arrows to come to their demise by hitting the wall and falling limply to the ground thereafter.

Tying the final knot in his new round of bandages on his wounded ankle, Soujirou clambered carefully to his feet, with the help of the wall and his unsheathed sword. Taking a few baby steps, he was surprised to find that, though his injuries still throbbed and sent shocks of pain up his spine when he moved, the pain was not something he could not handle.

He sighed with relief, knowing that he was running on adrenaline at the moment. As Enishi disabled more traps, Soujirou slowly made his way over to the furniture in the room, rummaging through whatever paperwork there was to rummage.

He noticed that the bandages around his thigh were rapidly getting soaked with blood from front to back. It was also with slight dismay that he realised he seemed to be losing sense of his right leg. The bullet may have severed a vital nerve somewhere. While his foot still obeyed him, all sensation appeared to be getting gradually numb.

Inability to feel pain could come in handy during mind-wracking battles, but in the long-run, it could prove to be the bane of a wanted criminal's scot-free life such as himself. He sighed internally, deciding to search the next available spot for incriminating clues.

Which so happened to be the befallen criminals themselves.

From behind him, Soujirou could hear Enishi overturning a crate of weapons. The metal and plastic clattered messily to the ground, some eventually sliding to a stop near Soujirou's feet. For a while, the boyish wanderer was captivated by the small item. Having been a warrior for the most part of his life, he appreciated the uses, as well as sentimental value his weapon held out. The progress of the world, however, saw to it that weapons were getting more impersonal, and less useful - except in the art of killing.

Bending down and reaching out to take the short handgun that had come near his feet into his hands, he looked at the little item. So small, so cold, yet so powerful.

Was this perhaps where the world was heading as well?

His well-honed instincts alerted him suddenly to danger, which he knew he reacted accordingly by standing and quickly attempting to run out of the opponent's weapon range. Unfortunately, standing up was about as far as he could get. He might have gotten safely out of gunpoint of Ming's weapon - if his feet had been in better condition. As it was, therefore, he found himself staring into the seemingly bottomless barrel of an angry weapon, held shakily by an even angrier opponent. He grit his teeth, cursing his momentarily carelessness. His eyes immediately darted around in search of a possible escape route.

"Lao da!" Ming's jerky voice caused Soujirou to pause in his thinking and Enishi to turn his head immediately to look at the new change in situation. "He is the one, isn't he?" Ming asked in Chinese, much to Soujirou's discomfort, dismay, and displeasure. "The one Zheng said you cared for more than all the four of us combined... the one who's stopping you from returning to rule us!"

To Soujirou's further dismay, Enishi replied in the same tongue. "She doesn't know what she's talking about," the man was saying, a hard glint in his eye. "Why do you keep believing every single thing she says anyway?"

"She speaks with reason! That's why I...!" Ming suddenly paused, a jolt of pain suddenly rushing through his back, where Enishi had hit to knock him out just now.

Immediately, Soujirou caught the lapse of attention in the groggy mafia boss, and with a decisive flash of the flip side of his sword, knocked the gun out of Ming's hand. Without waiting to hear the man's cry of protest, Soujirou made his way, as quickly as his wounds allowed him, over to Enishi's side. Enishi said nothing, merely shaking his head in disapproval at Soujirou having been caught, even if for a while, as a hostage. Soujirou blew him a raspberry.

"Guess what, Yukishiro-san?" Soujirou brandished a bamboo bound book from somewhere within his sleeves, eliciting a stare of wonderment from Enishi. "Sometimes becoming a hostage for a while can be rather profitable, especially since we get to be in such close range with our target of incrimination!" He chirped, and to drive his point home, flung the book in Enishi's face.

The rattling the bamboo cover gave made Ming's heart skip a beat. He immediately felt around his pockets and clothing's concealed space to find the organisation record book he kept on him at all times. With a low, sinking heart, he realised that it was gone. With his entire organisation methods and members in the hands of the enemy, it would be near impossible for any of his subordinates to try to buy him out of a death or jail statement now. His countenance failed, and he reared his head angrily at the two wanderers.

"Woah," Enishi spoke up, this time in Japanese. He had been casually browsing through the contents of the bamboo book. "You've got quite an organisation under you, haven't you, Ming?" He asked, sarcastically. "I don't remember leaving such a big group behind in Shanghai. Do you still dare to deny that you were just using my name to gain more power?" He sneered at his former subordinate, watching with glee as he winced under the verbal attack.

"It was necessary to expand so that we could avenge you, lao da!" Ming countered. But the arguement was so weak, even Soujirou laughed.

"Avenge Yukishiro-san?" Soujirou managed to say after laughing. "But he's not dead yet!"

"Yes, he's not," Ming muttered, wistfully. Quietly. "But he's not alive either. Won't you agree?"

The entire room lapsed into a questioning silence. Enishi's eyes narrowed. Soujirou continued smiling.

It was almost as if Ming alone knew what he would say next.****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
23/3/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	57. 56: I'm Sorry

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

**WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk! _CHARACTER DEATH._**

**WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.**

**—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 56: I'm Sorry**

"The lao da we once knew," Ming walked limply over to a cloth covered crate, and in one swift movement disrobed it, "no longer exists." He withdrew a large, long, automatic machine gun from the piles of weaponry in the crate. "And it is all your fault! And Japan's!" Without waiting for a response, he pointed the gun at the duo and opened fire, his hearty laughter accompanying the loud shots of heavy artillery. "As long as both your company and Japan itself sinks to the bottom, then lao da's honourable name will be avenged! Lao da was a warrior, brave, fierce and ruthless! Now, you're nothing but whimpering softie who bears the same name as he does! Be gone!" Ming's gunshots pursued Enishi and Soujirou as they ducked and swerved around furniture and crates in the room. "Be gone!"

"Wow, if I didn't know any better, Yukishiro-san," Soujirou managed to slip in a jibe in their runaway, "I would've thought he sounded exactly like what you did some fifteen years ago!"

"Shut up, idiot," Enishi barked. He did not sound angry. He dove behind a crate, and Soujirou was right after him. "Put that energy into thinking about how to get out of this fix, why don't you?" A spray of bullets pounded into the crate, shaking it from base to base.

"Well, there's only one known way out of this place, and Ming-san is standing between us and there," Soujirou thought aloud. "And we haven't any time or chance to look for another exit. Anyway I see it, we have to try to," he ducked, when an amok splinter came flying in the direction of his eye, "...either knock Ming-san out or temporarily disable him. Or at least get him away from that dangerous toy of his." The rattling churned to a stop, so both Soujirou and Enishi took the chance to peek out into the open.

Ming flung his spent machine gun aside and took out two shotguns from the crate instead, each in one hand. Soujirou and Enishi quickly retreated back to the safety of the rapidly disintegrating crate. "I hate being a sitting duck," Enishi growled, withdrawing a gun and a shotgun from with his own inner pockets. "Listen," he lowered his voice to a bare whisper. "I'll distract him. In the meantime, I want you take this," he flung the bamboo cover book back at Soujirou, "to Saitou. If he has any problems with the door in the room, there should be some useful instructions hidden in the spine of the book. Make sure Saitou gets the thing!" He released the safety on both guns. "...or this past few months would've been for nothing!"

Soujirou nodded, and that was all the assurance Enishi needed. He fired an experimental shot out without looking at his target first, then dove out of his hiding spot and began to engage in a dangerous game of hit-and-run with their foe.

Amidst the flurry of action of bright lights and explosions in the room, Soujirou mapped out his escape route. Slowly, but surely, Enishi was beginning to distract Ming so much that he no longer stood directly in front of the only known exit of the room. Until finally, he stepped completely clear.

Though not in top form, Soujirou knew he could still clear the room before Ming realised anything was amiss. Putting the book somewhere he knew would be firm and safe, he steeled his mind for the pain his feet were going to give him, and made a dash for it.

In the subsequent rush of blurred backgrounds and pounding pain, he almost could not hear the panicked warning Enishi shouted in his direction.

But he did, and so he stopped. Just in time to narrowing avoid being run through the head from temple to temple by a well aimed shot. He could almost see the little piece of metal fly by him in slow motion. Although it did not hit him in a fatal spot, it still managed to draw blood by cutting a single, sharp line across his right cheek.

Soujirou's next movements were effectively sealed, as, for the second time in a day, he found himself staring into impending doom, down the barrel of a smouldering gun. This time, he was at a slight disadvantage, as his sudden halt had literally brought him to his knees on the ground. He was still about two meters away from where Ming actually was pointing the gun at him, but he would not take any chances, not especially since he was not in top form. He could see Enishi hovering in the background, with something akin to slight horror on his face. Ming alone was calm, as if he had expected to capture Soujirou at gunpoint from the very beginning. Zheng was amazingly still out cold on the ground, despite the noise and action.

"Fifteen years ago," Ming's voice was equally calm. "...you would never have covered for someone to help them escape."

Soujirou and Enishi both remained silent to that.

"In the gang, it was always leader-first," Ming continued, mouth poised in a soundless laugh. "The leaders were expected to be the pinnacle of such a principle. Everybody else was supposed to die for him, right down to the very last man if need be! Why have you changed!"

"Because I realised how stupid I was," Enishi's reply came as a surprise to both Soujirou and Ming alike. "I realised that I have other things... worth much more than my own life..." He glanced sternly at Ming. "You have them too." His glance flickered momentarily to the unconscious Zheng. "You just haven't realised it yet."

Ming grit his teeth, his brows furrowing as he furiously tried to comprehend Enishi's words. "I don't get it!" He finally screamed. "I don't know what you're trying to tell me! But this I do know," the slightly neurotic Ming released the safety of the gun he held poised at Soujirou, causing the wanderer's breath to be caught in his throat. "As long as I eliminate your fellowship one by one, then you'll have nowhere else to go to, but back to us! I don't need to know what you're trying to say!"

Like Ming, Soujirou had yet to be able to comprehend what Enishi was saying. A nagging feeling at the back of his head told him that he did understand, whilst the other, more logical side of him told him that it couldn't possibly be so. Whatever it was, he knew that he was staring at death in its face, when Ming pulled the trigger of the gun in his confusion.

Too late to react; too late to even cry foul, Soujirou bit on his lower lip and drew in a sharp intake of breath. The shot of Ming's gun rang loud and clear in his ears. At least, he thought wryly to himself, this wasn't such a bad way to die. For all the things he had done to many other people in his life, an instant, painless death was almost merciful. As if the world had been reduced to slow motion, he kept his eyes wide opened and waited. Waiting to see what his final moment would be like. Waiting, for the final pang of pain that would render this entire episode over.

Waiting, but never seeing it.

The shot was fired, and it certainly hit flesh.

Yet it was not Soujirou's flesh that was hit, but the figure's, the owner of whom had darted from the other end of the room to stand before him - to shield him from the shot, the instance it was fired.

Enishi.

Soujirou wondered, with an open mouth, if he was dreaming.

Until he heard his companion cough roughly. And saw him cough up blood.

Enishi clutched his chest, where the bullet had hit and stayed. he knew it was a lethal hit. Blood was not just coming out of his mouth from his coughing, but pouring out of his wound like an unhindered stream as well. Yet before he fell in pain, he took aim with the guns still in his hands, and fired two shots at the shocked Ming, who was frozen in shock, realising what he had done. The two shots flew directly at Ming's legs, eventually burying themselves deeply into his knees. Rendered immobile with a cry of anguish, Ming fell to the ground the same time Enishi did, dropping his weapon and curling up into a fetal position on the ground - no longer a threat. For now.

Not that Soujirou really cared if he was still a threat or not.

"Yukishiro-san!" Soujirou gasped, surging forward and shaking the coughing Enishi, who had fallen onto the ground at his feet. He was too confused to think of anything grander to say. "Are you all right? Yukishiro-san!"

"Shut up!" Enishi managed to scold, amidst his coughing. His breathing was raspy; his blood pouring out of the gaping wound on his chest, pooling into a big mess around him and Soujirou on the ground. "Why the hell are you still here? Get the hell out already" He coughed, and blood dribbled out of the corners of his lips. "...get out..." he continued, in a much weaker voice. "...get away from here..."

As if the situation had just dawned upon him, Soujirou released the breath he had been holding, and quickly rearranged Enishi so that he could sling one of the older man's arms over his shoulders. "We're going together," he firmly said, although his voice was shaking. With Enishi leaning almost entirely against his shoulder, coughing away, he moved as quickly as he could towards the exit.

And would have reached it successfully, if Ming had not suddenly appeared in front of him.

"You're not going anywhere!" The furious man roared, standing shakily on his two injured feet. "You"

Ming did not get to finish his words. With his free hand, Soujirou threw a punch at the man right across his face, the sheer force of his strength making Ming fly across the room, crashing right through a wall, until his body slumped limply from the hole that had just been created by the impact.

"If you make me any angrier, I'll tear you into pieces!" Soujirou hissed, his eyes wide with fury. Not waiting for Ming's reaction, he continued on with his journey towards the exit. This proved to be difficult, for Enishi, though conscious, was mumbling incoherently to himself, his entire body slack. Soujirou's injuries on his legs, though tended to, were not yet healed. It was painful enough trying to walk on his two feet. An additional weight leaning against him certainly did not make it any easier.

By the third time he stumbled and nearly fell to the ground, he was near giving up. His vision was blurry and he was slowly losing all sense from his two feet. He knew that in the next step, he was bound to fall over. So he paused. He considered his options. There were not many, but there was bound to be one that would work.

"Enough, Soujirou," Enishi suddenly spoke in clarity, but was so soft, the younger wanderer almost did not hear him. He was no longer coughing, but his breathing was stilted and raspy. Blood also continued to gush out of the gaping wound on his chest. "Take the book to Saitou now."

"But I /am/ taking it to him now!" Soujirou protested.

"Without me, stupid," Enishi said, out of breath. Soujirou distracted himself by being amazed at how Enishi was always able to find stupidity in the most dire of situations. He waited for Enishi to explain further, as he usually would. But all Enishi was doing now was to try to catch his breath, and growing paler and paler with each breath he took.

"Why?"

The question was out before Soujirou even realised his mouth was moving.

In the pause that next occurred, even Enishi's heavy breathing seemed like a whisper amidst their amplified thoughts.

Enishi laughed - as much as a strangled laugh was a laugh. "Heh," he sniggered. "Twenty-five years ago..." A cough. "...I asked myself... the exact same question." His weight against Soujirou began to increase, until the younger wanderer could no longer support him standing up. He slowly allowed Enishi to slump to the ground, while Soujirou himself followed, half kneeling beside his friend, supporting him as much as he could. "I thought..." Enishi continued, with a sigh, his body relaxing, "...they showed me the answer... fifteen years ago..." he smiled. It was not a leer of any sort. "I guess..." as he spoke, the light in his eyes slowly grew dimmer, "...some answers can never be found until you go through it yourself..."

"I don't understand!" Soujirou shook Enishi slightly. He knew that time was running out. Faster than he cared to count. "Why did you do it, Yukishiro-san! You always scold me! You always think I'm a nuisance! And then you go off and do things like this! I don't understand!" He ignored the sting in his eyes that was smudging his vision. Ignored the wetness trickling down his cheeks as Enishi's raspy breathing gradually evened into a noiseless whisper. "...don't go..." He mumbled into Enishi's bloodstained shawl. Fresh blood continued to pool around the men on the floor beneath them, staining them crimson. A sign of a life that was near the end of its flow. "...please don't go..."

If Enishi heard Soujirou's pleas and questions, he made no attempt to reply. Instead he lifted a surprisingly calm hand to rest it upon Soujirou's lowered head lightly - like a reassuring parent would his inconsolable child.

"Get the book to Saitou..." was his command. Thin. Quiet. "...help me finish what I started..." He struggled to catch enough air to speak his next word. "Soujirou..." He coughed. Smiled.

"I'm sorry."

His hand slipped.

His smile slipped.

Yukishiro Enishi would never speak another word again.

It took a while before Soujirou managed swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I know, Yukishiro-san," he leaned in and whispered into his comrade's ear, voice so lucid, he surprised even himself.

"I'm sorry too."

**—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
24/3/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd**


	58. 57: Underground Aftermath

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

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Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
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Chapter 57: Underground Aftermath

By the time Kenji found his way through the labyrinth to his designated room, it was already nearly sunset.

The orange glow of the resplendant rays spread themselves comfortably across the floor of the cannon tower, via the long strip of bunker window that had been roughly carved out from the walls, likely for ventilation. Kenji wheezed, sighing in relief that the sun was still up. It was not his fault that his sense of direction was as powerful as a monkey on opium.

He stepped cautiously into the room, not too surprised to see an array of bodies sprawled all across the area of the floor. He scrutinised the room again, carefully. True to his gut instinct, he found Saitou meandering somewhere near a shadowy corner of the room, the only indication of his presence being the butt of his lit cigarette and the tendril of slow, white smoke.

Kenji hopped over, finding some sort of mischievous delight stirring from within when Saitou raised an inquiring eyebrow at him. "Yo!" He greeted, sounding faux and happy. "I'm here to guide you down the right path!"

Saitou stared at him.

"Enishi's found out that this room is just a decoy," the boy explained coolly. "There's another layer beyond the surface that we need to dig to find. According to him/that/ one's the /real/ danger and we should disable it as soon as possible!" He almost heaved a fist into the air for dramatic effect.

Saitou flicked his cigarette, which had burnt to the butt in the while Kenji was speaking, away. As it fell to the ground, Kenji noticed that there were already quite a number of other burnt-out butts strewn across the floor near Saitou's feet. As the pieces slowly clicked, Saitou stepped forward and addressed him.

"Well?" The officer loomed over the boy. "What 'right path' will you be guiding me down in, then?"

Kenji held Saitou's glare firmly. He then looked at the cigarette butts that were already on the ground, before lifting his head up to meet Saitou in the eye again. "You were waiting for someone to come," he mumbled, hardly able to believe what he was saying. "You knew."

Saitou's only response was to smirk widely.

"But why didn't you go on ahead first?" Kenji continued to mull aloud. "You can't possibly be waiting for someone to /accompany/ you there, huh?"

This time, Saitou frowned hard at the youth. Turning around without responding, he walked further into the darkness.

Kenji was instantly offended, but he did not let it show on his facade. Instead, he calmly followed the man, knowing that he was a friend - for now, and could be trusted in the enemy's lair.

True to his assumptions, they eventually walked through a dark passageway, and into a well-lit and well-renovated doorway room of sorts. Saitou jerked a thumb at Kenji, causing him to pause from staring in awe at some of expensive-looking Chinese tiles that were decorating the walls. He glanced in the direction Saitou was pointing, finding himself staring at yet another wall with intricate designs.

Just as he was about to protest, however, he noticed that there was something about a small portion of the wall that did not seem quite right. Walking closer, he saw that it was just a hidden door, well camouflaged with fancy tiles and firm cement. "A hidden door!" He exclaimed excitedly. Saitou snorted.

"I'm glad you've got that all figured out," the police chief stated stonily. "And since you're apparently here to help me get to the next room, why don't you take this opportunity to demonstrate your far-reaching skills and knowledge already?" From somewhere behind, he pulled out another stick of cigarette. He put it in his mouth and allowed it to dangle, while Kenji stared incredulously at him. "Hurry up, boy, I haven't got all day."

Kenji allowed himself a second of pause for thought. "Enishi never told us there was a door we needed to open," he walked closer to the hidden door and felt around it, feeling the lines that marked it as a door apart from the rest of the wall, yet not knowing what to do to open it. "There are no knobs... no openings at all," the boy frowned. "Have you tried knocking it down yet?"

Saitou lifted something up from beside him. It was his sword. Pulling it quickly out from the sheath, he flung the object - still a blur - at Kenji, who caught it by its hilt. As he lowered the weapon to stare at it, he was shocked to see that the sword had been broken cleanly into half, hairline cracks going downwards from it's point of fracture. When he looked at Saitou for an explanation, the man simply shrugged. "It broke on immediate contact. This wall isn't something you want to mess around with."

Kenji looked at the broken sword. And agreed wholeheartedly. "But there aren't any knobs or openings on this thing at all," Kenji resorted to putting an ear on the door, hearing the hollow room that was behind it. He knocked experimentally on an ornate green tile that stood out among the rest of the reddish brown ones. "How should we go about...WOAH!" Kenji managed to leap away just in time before a barrage of arrows impaled themselves into the ground where he had been standing on. Staring at the arrows for a tensed moment, he eventually shot up to look at Saitou. "You knew about that too," he stated.

Saitou shrugged. "Something as silly as a trap like that couldn't have possibly scratched you, even if they wanted to."

Kenji was caught between wanting to throttle Saitou for his callousness, and wanting to dance around the room in joy at the subtle praise. Eventually suppressing both urges, he looked to the ground and sighed. "Well if Soujirou was here, he could be of great help with that Shukuchi thing of his. Unfortunately..."

"Unfortunately he is not, and even if he is, he would like to remind the audience once again that the Shukuchi is /not/ supposed to be used as some sort of express demolition service?"

Kenji knew that voice, no matter how far the speaker was or how soft he had been speaking. He turned around to the source of the sound, lips already curling up in a triumphant grin.

From beyond the same darkness he and Saitou had taken to arrive here, a blur of silver darted into the room first, coming to a halt just before Kenji's feet. Not two seconds after that, the sound of straw sandles shuffling against gravel could be heard.

Eventually, Soujirou walked partly into the room, standing just at the threshold between the light and darkness, smiling like he always was. "Soujirou!" Kenji exclaimed, relief flooding over him for some reason. "Wow! How did you manage to find your way here?"

Soujirou gestured lightly at the fox. "I had the help of a little divine intervention!" He replied, words joking but tone serious. The fox yipped cheerfully in agreement, although Kenji eyed them both suspiciously. Soujirou then turned his head and smiled at Saitou, as if noticing him there for the first time. "Hello, Saitou-san!"

The officer, who had been scrutinising Soujirou since his appearance, chewed thoughtfully on his cigarette. "You smell like you just swam through a sea of bloody bodies," he commented offhandedly. "What happened?"

The wanderer took a decisive step from the shadows into the light. It was a step that gave both Kenji and Saitou a shock. Indeed, for Saitou had been right. Not only did Soujirou reek of blood, he was also covered from top to toe with a rather impressive amount of said fluid. He held onto something long and bulky - wrapped around and around with a large piece of cloth that was scarlet amidst peeks of blue. "Since when did you care whether I smelled like blood or flowers, Saitou-san?" With one last step, he was completely in the light.

Kenji and Saitou could not help but stare further.

Neither, though, found their voices to question the boyish looking wanderer about his state of disarray, until Soujirou reached the hidden door that Kenji had been trying to open. "Soujirou..." Kenji was the first to speak, having pondered through all possible scenarios in his head and finding none acceptable. "...what happened... to your hair...?"

Soujirou, who had been busy prying something out from the spine of a strange-looking book in his hands, turned around to face Kenji with a pleasant smile. Instead of his usually well-arranged ponytail, his hair was now loose and flying about, framing his face. That alone was nothing to be concerned about. The fact that his hair was now very much /shorter/ than its usual length, though, certainly drew more attention than it ought to be commanding.

After that smile, though, Soujirou said nothing - for he had finally won the struggle against the piece of paper that was stuck in the spine of the book, tugging it out and looking at what had been scribbled on it.

From the sidelines, Saitou removed his untouched cigarette and dropped it to the ground, stepping on it as if it were a smouldering butt, using his stmp to call to attention everybody in the room. "Well, Tenken no Soujirou?" He said. "Are you going to Shukuchi this door down as well?"

"Of course not, Saitou-san," Soujirou said cheerily. His eyes were still upon the piece of paper. He said nothing else, until he was apparently done with it. "There are more civil ways of opening doors than tearing them down." As he was speaking, he reached into the bundle of reddish blue cloth he was holding beside him, and withdrew a longsword, holding it up against the door.

And for the third time since Soujirou appeared, Kenji and Saitou stared - very hard, at him.

This time, though, they were staring more at the sword than his person.

"Umm... ugh..." Kenji stuttered, trying to find the right words to say. "I don't think it's going to work, Soujirou... the old guy over there tried it already, and he just ended getting his sword broken into bits and pieces. I really don't think it's going to make any difference..." He stared hard at the sword in Soujirou's hand again. "...even if it /is/ Enishi's sword."

"Of course, Himura-san, the question would be - whether or not Saitou-san has used the sword in the right way, in the first place!" The cheeriness continued to be with Soujirou. He stepped back slightly, so that he was a distance away from the wall. With amazing speed and accuracy, he began to thrust the long sword out towards the wall, depressing a series of tiles along it.

There was immediately a mechanical click from somewhere above them, followed by a long, creaking groan of rusty wheels turning against one another. Soujirou relaxed, while his two companions simply gaped at the sight. They had obviously tried many times to depress the tiles on the door, but had failed to do anything but trigger one hidden trap or another. And this, Soujirou solved with a mere look at a piece of parched paper he tugged out from an equally dirty looking book. Wonders will never cease.

Soujirou continued to smile, ignoring the intense scrutiny of Saitou. "Himura-san," he eventually said, amidst the groaning and creaking of the wheels. Kenji glanced upwards at him. "I don't suppose you keep a few tantou handy with you?"

Kenji felt it would be wise to simply reply and not wonder about the absurdity of the question. "I don't bring short swords around," he confirmed Soujirou's somewhat rhetorical question, "but I still have one kunai left from that bridge fiasco." He withdrew it from his sleeve pocket and flung it into the air, catching it by the hook as it fell and twirling it around his index finger. "You need it?" He held it out for Soujirou.

"Not really," Soujirou replied, while the sounds of mechanical wheels continued to grind in the background. Slowly, but surely, the door that was embedded in the fancy wall which Soujirou had been stabbing on just now began to move downwards, bit by bit. Finally, it completely disappeared into the ground, leaving behind a huge, gaping hole of darkness that laid beyond the thick wall. Once it the door finished moving and all was suddenly hush and quiet again, Soujirou continued, "How good are you with the kunai, Himura-san?"

"Good?" Kenji raised an eyebrow. He stared at Soujirou. "Oba-san's told me a few things about it here and there, but I've never really gotten a chance to hold one properly until today, so..."

"Well, whatever it is," Soujirou pointed into the darkness. "You only have one shot to finish this off."

"One shot?" Kenji blinked at Soujirou. Saitou stared at the both of them with an aura of curiosity and disapproval. "One shot to finish what off?"

"The cannons, of course!" Soujirou smiled. But the more he smiled, the more Kenji felt uncomfortable.

"Aren't we going to dash in and destroy the cannons like we did with the other room?" Kenji decided to simply get into the mood of the situation and ignore Soujirou's plasticity for now.

"Well, sure!" Soujirou pointed at the darkness. "If you can get in, you're most welcomed to do that!"

"Huuh," Kenji walked forward, tossing his head over his shoulder slightly to speak while he sauntered. "It's just an empty space! What's there to be-OOF!" The redhead slammed directly into the black wall that occupied the space behind the newly opened door. He fell clumsily onto his backside, holding his face and cursing up a storm.

"I warned you!" He heard Soujirou chirp from behind him, and was immediately angrier. Scrambling to his feet, he removed his palm from his face and pointed at the dark wall, for the lack of a better thing to vent his frustration on.

"Why is there a /wall/ here!" Kenji screeched. "How the hell are we going to be able to get through at this rate!" He pulled the kodachi Aoshi had given him out of its sheath. "Oh, heck with it all! This wall has some guts! Now I'm pissed! I'll hack you down nice and good, you hear?" He started to raise his sword against the darkness. "When I'm done with you, you'll regret you ever...!"

It crept into the room through the dark walls as a minor shaft of light at first. Before long, however, it was filling the room with a hue of intense orange, so strong, Kenji had to stop in his tirade and shield his eyes from the direct onslaught of the fiery sunset. "Oh my," he distinctly heard Soujirou say in the background, while he was still wondering where the light had come from. "It's sunset already?"

"Hmph," Saitou chimed in. "Looks like there's a need to relook at our plans for this evening." He stepped forward, looking evenly at the smiling Soujirou. "Are you going to put that sword you stole from the other guy to any good use?" He noted that the wanderer flinched slightly at his words, but pressed on, "If not, you could let me have it. You won't see the wall still standing within the next minute--"

"No," Soujirou's voice, clear and curt, cut Saitou short. He turned his head slightly to smile at the police chief, who frowned further at the predatory glint in Soujirou's eye. Without explaining himself, Soujirou crossed the room and stood beside Kenji.

"Himura-san," Soujirou said, "there is actually a thin line of open space in this dark area which can only be seen when the sun sets and light shines through it to this door. The wall is approximately twenty-five metres thick. While is it possible for us to eventually demolish it, we won't make it in time to disable the mechanism." He pointed at the tiny beam of light that was shining through the wall onto the floor.

"The space is not very big. It's barely about half a palm space wide. Himura-san, we need you to fling the kunai with absolute accuracy into the space, and right at the heart of the mechanism, before the sun sets entirely. The major cannon here is set to automatically trigger when the last vestiges of solar energy runs out. Before that happens, we have to break it." He paused. "Since it's already sunset, we don't have much time. Take aim and shoot, Himura-san," Soujirou pointed through the shaft, at the blinding source of the light that was pouring in the room. "Where the light is coming in from, that is where the mechanism also is."

"Wa...wait!" Kenji protested slightly. "I... I've never really handled kunai before so I don't know if I can hit a target that's so far away with one shot..."

"Whine some more and the sun will completely set, boy," Saitou was chewing on yet another cigarette butt, and he fingered it as if he would finger a real one, one that was burning away at the edge. "I'll admit the Oniwabanshuu operate effectively and efficiently, but against a major cannon shot, I certainly don't think any of them can come up with a way to deal with it - whether they were properly warned or not."

"But I-..."

"Himura-san," Soujirou put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He smiled at the frantic boy, and this was the liveliest of smiles Kenji had seen Soujirou don since his entrance into the scene. "Don't worry about missing, and just do it." He pointed at the light on the floor, which was stretching longer and longer, growing dimmer and dimmer, an indication that the sun would disappear in a brief moment.

"How can I not worry!" Kenji gulped. "It's not like I'm fishing for goldfish at summer festival, hello! How can I not--"

"Hey," Saitou suddenly said. "The light's going out."

"Indeed it is," Soujirou agreed.

"AARGH!" Kenji screamed. He shoved Soujirou out of the way and stood against the shaft through the wall, facing it firmly. With the kunai in his hand, he took aim. He could see clearly where the mechanism was, as well as the boundaries of the wall that made a straight path towards it. As the sun slowly dipped, he flung the kunai with top speed at his target. Everything Misao said and all the times he had observed her practicing came flooding back to his mind, filling his senses. Guided by his pure instincts, Kenji did not realise that the kunai he had thrown hit the target dead-on, until Soujirou's bubbly voice snapped him out of his stupor.

"You did it, Himura-san!" Soujirou cheered. "You got it right on!"

"He did," Saitou agreed. "But not hard enough," the older man pointed down the shaft, where the glint of sun against the kunai greeted them, forcing them to blink or look slightly away. As the last ray of sunset moved away, the entire area suddenly rumbled and growled with new activity. The floor shook and the sounds of grinding wheels flooded the entire area once again.

"Sounds like another door is opening somewhere," Saitou remarked, glancing about him warily. As if on cue, the floor beneath them began to tremble and rock loudly.

"That's the sound of the mechanism swinging to action," Soujirou was still smiling. He walked backwards slightly and collected the kodachi, which had fallen onto the ground when Kenji smacked against the wall. "Himura-san, whose sword is this?" He asked.

"Oji-san's," was the harried reply. "Hey, what do we do now?" He asked, as the ceiling began to break up and shower tiny bits of rock and sand on the trio. "Sounds like this whole place is going to disintegrate if we don't get out of it quickly!"

"Please help me apologise to Shinomori-san," Soujirou mumbled, then with one quick movement which Kenji could not see, snapped the kodachi cleanly into half. Handing the broken blade out to Kenji, he instructed, "The mechanism is slightly spoilt, but it won't stop. You need to jam the wheel and stop it from churning entirely. Aim this blade at the kunai that's already stuck between the wheels there. If you jam it hard enough, the whole process will be stopped, and no shot will be fired." He put a hand on Kenji's shoulder and pat him warmly, before the boy could protest again.

"You can do it, Himura-san." He said, softly, but clearly. "You possess something that your father never did in his lifetime." He turned Kenji by the shoulders so that the boy faced the shaft instead of gaped at him. "You control your own future, Himura Kenji, tainted by nothing. Whether the shadows of yesterday bring you to a better twilight tomorrow," he pushed Kenji slightly, "you have to decide. And you can fight for it. But right now," his tone become slightly more serious, "...you /have/ to fight for it."

"I know what to do," Kenji spoke up, without intending to. He held the thin blade between his two fingers, and crept into a battou-jutsu stance. Soujirou smiled, and retreated. Saitou was already hidden in the shadows. All the events that had happened to him since his departure from the Tokyo dojo came back to him, helping him realise that Soujirou had indeed spoken the truth. Why had he even been so against the idea of him being like his father anyway? Why was he envious? Why was he jealous? There were things that his father had that he would never have, and there were things he had that his father would never have. But the things that both his father and himself had - those were rare, far and few between.

He realised that he was now really very proud of it.

In the next moment after his thoughts were sorted out, he flung the blade in the same direction he had thrown the kunai before it. This time, the blade was faster, and hit the kunai through the hilt, embedding itself into the wall behind the wheel. The entire mechanism groaned as if in pain, and the shaking escalated for a while.

As quickly as it came, however, the tremors died down. The ceiling stopped raining pebbles and the floor stopped shivering. The wheel creaked one last time in protest, then relaxed into a state of inactivity.

"Well done, Himura-san," Soujirou smiled at Kenji. "I knew I could count on you. Now then," he picked up the sheath of the kodachi and twirled it around for a while, before breaking it into two as well. Quickly, he sent the two halves down the shaft as well, making them hit on the blade and kunai that were already there, hammering the things deeper into the walls. "That should hold it until help arrives." He turned to Kenji, who was gaping. "You really are a combat genius, Himura-san!"

"You could have thrown the kunai and blade yourself!" Kenji immediately wailed, pointing a finger accusingly at the leisurely wanderer. "Why did you let me do it! I must have lost at least a quarter of my life through that stress, you brainless wanderer!"

Unfazed, Soujirou remained smiling. "I certainly could have," he agreed, "but I think Yukishiro-san would have preferred if you had done it instead."

To caught up in the aftermath of his stress to notice the underlying meaning of Soujirou's words, Kenji snorted loudly. "Since when did Enishi care if I did anything useful or not?" He paused. "Where is he anyway?"

"He cares a lot more than he shows, Himura-san," was Soujirou's vague reply to Kenji's first question. The second one went entirely ignored. Turning to Saitou, the wanderer brandished the book he had gotten from Ming. "I would explain how I suddenly got so familiar with mafia property, but I think it would be better if you read about it from the source itself, Saitou-san." He stepped forward and placed the book into Saitou's hands. "Please take good care of it," were his last, wistful words, before he smiled and stepped - as quietly as he came, back into the shadows of the by now bedarkened room.

"Sou...-" Kenji was about to call him back, when the steady pattering of footsteps interrupted his intention. The sounds were coming from the tunnel they had walked to arrive at this room, so he heightened his senses and got into a ready position, so he could attack anyone who dared approach. Saitou stretched his hand out before the boy, however, and this caused him to snap out of his concentration.

"Relax," the police chief muttered. "It's just the police reinforcement team." True to his words, a few uniform-clad policemen soon poured into the room, saluting Saitou and awaiting his further instructions. "The boy is working under me on a personal basis, so I give him no guarantee that he will be free of police pursue. It would have been most suspicious for one of the most wanted man of Japan to be standing in the core of a overseas mafia underground headquarters, so he did the wise thing by running before anyone sees him." He paused to throw the chewed out cigarette on the ground, stepping on it and putting a fresh new stick into his mouth.

"Hey, half-man," he shifted the topic of conversation immediately, addressing the scythe-wielding police spy who had just stepped into the room as well. Pointing to the dark wall behind him, he said, "Break down this wall. We need to disable the mechanism inside before it's too late."

Kamatari, who had been staring at the scene with great interest, now looked at Saitou and grinned. "Leave it to me!"

Nobody noticed, as Kenji frowned - as if with sudden realisation, and vanished into the shadows as well, slipping out of the room - unseen and unheard.

The fox followed. But nobody saw as well.****

—————————————————————  
... to be continued  
1/4/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

in most feudal eastern cultures - most noticeably japan, the cutting of one's long hair short is generally considered taboo for both males and females. it was considered a silent declaration that something traumatic had happened. the first thing a friend would most likely remark is "what happened", instead of "nice new haircut". this is true even today, although people are more subtle about it now. by late meiji japan this kind of symbolism has been watered down somewhat - by then people cut their hair for convenience's sake. nowadays almost exclusively only girls cut their long hair short out of the blue - usually to protest their boyfriends for dumping them. let's just go along with the flow here. XD 


	59. 58: The End

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Chapter 58: The End

When Kenji arrived at his destination, Aoshi and Misao were already there, talking in hushed tones about something. The room was white and there were shattered mirror fragments all over the ground. "Hey!" He called out to his two seniors, who immediately turned their heads up in surprise to look at him. Evidently, they had not felt his aura. "Have you seen Soujirou?"

Aoshi and Misao had gotten over their initial shock by now. "Soujirou?" Misao was the first to speak. "Haven't seen him for a while. Enishi's late, though." She shrugged. "Even later than you, which is quite a feat!" She grinned mischievously.

"Why are you looking for Soujirou?" Aoshi asked, after Misao had said her piece.

"He was there with Saitou and me, helping out with the final puzzle," Kenji replied. "Then he disappeared when the police reinforcements came, so I thought maybe he'd come here to look for Enishi too." The glint in his eye grew slightly perplexed as he continued, "But... judging from how he's been behaving just now, I think he already /has/ met Enishi. He even has his sword!" Kenji pointed out to nobody in particular. Aoshi lapsed into a thoughtful silence. Misao frowned.

"Who has whose sword?" The kunoichi asked Kenji, wanting to be sure.

"Soujirou," Kenji turned to face Misao, "has Enishi's sword. You know, that huge, long sword with strange, Chinese patterns on its hilt?"

The two adults lapsed into an even more solemn silence, broken only by Misao's strained suggestion that, "I guess we'd better find Yukishiro Enishi soon."

Aoshi agreed, with a grave nod.

"What's wrong?" Kenji asked.

"Kenji," Misao looked at him evenly, "...no matter how good Yukishiro Enishi is with his fists, he knows /better/ than to walk around enemy terrain without a weapon that can at least prove to be of some resistance against the opponent's superior weaponry." She looked at Aoshi. "Something must have happened."

A loud whine proceeded to be heard from a remote corner of the room. As the trio in the room turned to look at the source of the noise, they saw the by-now familiar figure of the silver fox, scratching furiously at a particular spot on the wall. The creature whined again, looking in Kenji's direction, demanding his attention. Rolling his eyes, the young redhead strolled up to the fox and loomed before him with his arms akimbo. "Now what?"

The fox whined, then scratched at the wall again. By this time, Aoshi and Misao were already close behind him, staring at the scene with a combination of amusement and bemusement. "I think the thing's asking you to break down this wall or something," Misao giggled. "Maybe there's a secret tunnel behind."

Kenji knocked experimentally on the wall, which produced a hollow sound. "Why am I not surprised?" He sighed. The fox scratched its ear complacently.

"How should we take this wall down?" Misao asked, knocking on it as well. The sound it produced was hollow, but when she tossed hard punch at the wall, she only ended up with a few sore knuckles. "Ouch," she blew at her smarting fist. "...guess we can't try to knock it down then-!"

She was interrupted when the huge sound of crumbling walls exploded from beside her, filling the room with dust and debris and giving both Aoshi and her a shock. As the smoke slowly disappeared, Kenji removed his fist from out of the hole in the wall, shaking it slightly to flick off the bits and pieces of plaster and cement that had gotten on his knuckles from his sudden attack.

"Hey, this wall isn't so tough after all!" Kenji turned his bright eyes upon his two elders, and they were glinting with glinting with innocence. As if he did not know he had kist done something that was frighteningly awesome. "Let's break it down together!"

While Kenji happily proceeded to punch the rest of the wall down, with the fox bouncing about and barking happily beside him, Misao carefully withdrew a kunai from her pouch. She took aim at the wall, and flung it with abject force. The kunai bounced off the wall like it was a rubber ball. "Kaoru-san," she said, while shuddering, "...your legacy of brute strength has found itself an inheritor."

—————————————————————

Somewhere in Tokyo, someone sneezed.

—————————————————————

Later found the trio crossing the threshold of the broken down wall, and walking down the dark, winding secret tunnel. The only thing keeping them from bumping into the walls was the silver fox, whose fur seemed to shine all the more brighter in the dark space. After a short trot through the nothingness, Kenji finally sighed. "I can't take it anymore!" He screeched, and his voice rebounded off the closed walls to form eerie echoes. "What is /up/ with this fox anyway! It's been following me around since I left the dojo in Tokyo! It seems to know everything that we don't!" He pointed at the fox, who continued leading the way and remained nonchalant. "I can't close this episode of my life without at least knowing what's going on with that thing! Aargh!"

Aoshi was staring off into space. Misao stared at Kenji. It was Aoshi, however, who first spoke anything to break the silence that followed Kenji's question. "Do you know which shrine we are currently located under now, Kenji?"

Kenji narrowed his eyes slightly at the older man. "We went down from Azumamaro Shrine, so I'd assume we're still underneath it, although..." he pondered, "...what with all the tunnels, bridges and mazes we've had to go through all this while, I wouldn't be surprised if we're now in a completely new area."

"You are right," Aoshi confirmed. "We are now beneath the Fushimi Inari Taisha."

Kenji was taken aback. "The folklore god who travels around with foxes in his entourage?" He whispered, more to himself than to anybody else.

Ahead of him, the fox turned around, and flashed its audience a wide, toothy grin.

Aoshi nodded curtly, then reached his hand out to allow it to sweep against the walls they were travelling through at the moment. "From the looks of the structure, though messy, this underground complex was only recently built. Perhaps around the same time the Yuugure started to really force a stranglehold on the Japanese weapons black market..."

"That would be about five years ago," Misao quipped. "...right?"

Again, Aoshi nodded. "Although we still are not quite sure of the reason behind Yuugure's heavy investment in this overseas project - one fact remains constant. The local police was obviously not the only one offended by their miscreant acts," he paused and shot the trotting fox a glance, "Someone else, somewhere out there, was displeased as well."

"Therefore the fox?" Kenji fingered his chin. "No wonder Soujirou mentioned something about divine intervention just now..." He walked up to the fox and tugged on its tail. "Hey fox, you got nothing to say to that? Are you really here to help drive out the bad guys from the Inari underground?"

The fox turned around, yipped happily, and leapt onto Kenji, licking his face. Then it hopped back to the ground and continued running along the tunnel.

Kenji remained frozen for quite a while. Then realisation crept in, and with a shriek of indignation, he pursued the playful fox all the way down the rest of the tunnel in a ferocious game of tag - complete with barking and much colourful swearing, much to the amusement of the two adults in the tunnel behind them.

—————————————————————

"Well, Saitou my man, this has got to be one of the greatest haul-in we've had for a few years at least," Kamatari was seated on a well-lit area of the room with Saitou and Chou, while the rest of the minor police scurried around busily, having broken down the wall blocking their way to the auto cannon mechanism and currently trying to disable the device permanently. Kamatari looked at the book in his hands again. "Names, places, transactions, dates, events..." He snickered. "Isn't it such a good thing that the Chinese mafia are so organised and meticulous in their record keeping?"

Saitou glanced at the book. "Keep it well," he grunted. "We need to get it to a translator after we make sure all the traps and mechanisms are disabled in this ridiculous underground weapons ring."

"I don't get what you're so upset about from since just now," Chou came in from the sidelines. "We closed this case beautifully - without losing a single soldier. You're gonna get a grand promotion or at least a fat pay raise. Stop lookin' like you just lost the whole police force or something!"

"Speaking of translators," Kamatari closed the bamboo covered book and glanced at his two companions, "...what about Yukishiro? He's been in this trade for years - he should know all the mumbo jumbo they use better than any of us in the police force do." He stared intently at Saitou. "I could contact him for you, since I know you're all about beauracracy and all that official business thing-"

"You," Saitou cut Kamatari short, "are both idiots." This, of course, did not elicit a particularly favourite response from both parties in question. "Just because you don't see or hear about it, doesn't mean that there were no sacrifices in the process," his eyes took on a wistful, nostalgic look. "It's been like that since the dawn of man. It'll go on being like that until man's twilight." Knowing that he probably did not make sense to his younger subordinates, Saitou removed the cigarette stub in his mouth and quashed it evenly against the wall beside him. "Yukishiro Enishi..."

—————————————————————

"...is dead...?" Kenji's tone was incredulous. Disbelieving.

The moment he had emerged from the tunnel, the fox had led him directly to a crumpled form in the middle of the room, whose head was covered with a torn piece of blue cloth that had been soaked to the bare threads with blood. For a few stunning seconds, Kenji had been numbed - rooted to the spot. It was not until Aoshi, with professional ease, removed the cloth covering the body, did Kenji finally release the breath he had been holding.

Of course, in the next instant, a new kind of shock seized him, rooting him to the spot once again.

"Aoshi-sama!" Misao's voice was a harsh, panicked whisper. She was crouched beside Aoshi as her leader proceeded to check the fallen man for signs of life. He flinched, but refused to say anything. Upturning the torn piece of shawl so that it no longer covered Enishi's face, he looked around rather frantically for any clues that would enlighten him as to what had transpired in this room. He could deduce that a fight had occurred in this room - that much was obvious by the various weapons lying on the ground and arbitrary holes in the ceiling and in the walls. Eventually, however, his eyes came to rest upon an object that glinted against the dull lighting in the room.

"Kenji, pick that up," he instructed, pointing at the object that Kenji was currently nearest to. Kenji immediately obeyed. As he stooped over to collect it, recognition washed over him. Picking the article up, he gasped loudly.

"It's Soujirou's sword," he turned to look at his seniors, confusion brimming in his eyes. "The old guy at the hut gave it to him."

There was a moment of grave silence.

"You mentioned you last saw him with Enishi's sword, didn't you?" Misao frowned. "Maybe they exchanged swords?" She frowned further.

"I have a feeling it's nothing as simple as that," Kenji gulped, the sword growing steadily heavier in his hands. "Soujirou was indeed holding Enishi's sword, but it was wrapped in..." he glanced downwards, at the cloth that had been strewn aside by Aoshi. "...the same cloth as that one down there. I didn't realise it then, but... but Soujirou did smell of blood when he stepped into the room..." He paused to shake his head before his imagination got the better of him. Breathing, then calming down, he continued. "And Soujirou... his hair. His hair was no longer long. He cut it - or someone did it for him, sometime in between him crossing the crevasse bridge and his subsequent arrival at the room Saitou and I were in..."

Misao alone was listening, for Aoshi seemed to have found something more interesting to observe on the ground. He reached out towards the article, while Misao's chilled voice informed them that, "I don't believe anybody could have reached Tenken no Soujirou fast enough to cut any part of him. Not with his permission, anyway."

"I thought so too," Kenji mumbled. Aoshi carefully felt the blackish lump he had swept up from the ground. Kenji continued, "...so my only other logical guess can be that he cut it himself. He didn't say anything when I asked him, but..." the boy's saddened eyes lowered to the body lying on the floor before them. "...I think... I can almost guess why now..."

The same time Kenji pronounced this, Aoshi realised what he had picked up from off the ground. It was a lock of hair. A lock of long hair that had been recently severed from its roots. Rustling it in his hand, he let the long strands fall between his fingers, so that they slowly fell back to the ground - piece by piece, away from each other. He now noticed that there were other locks of hair, scattered sporadically around the area Enishi was laying on. He frowned, Kenji and Misao's discussion becoming but a drone in the background. Pondering over it for just a little while longer, the tall ninja eventually rose to his feet. This action alone captured the attention of Kenji and Misao, who stared at him with expectant eyes.

"We won't be able to find out what happened here by mere wild speculation." He announced firmly, finding himself the receipiant of two guilty and sheepish faces. "Come on," when he next spoke, his voice was calm, but strained. In a tone which made clear he would entertain no resistance or question, he said, "We have to move Yukishiro out of the room before the police finds him."

—————————————————————

It was a while later, when they had successfully gotten out of the labyrinth and were standing atop a cliff edge, that Kenji realised the sun had yet to set fully, even though the moon had already ascended the skies.

Perhaps struck by the etheareal surreality of the scene, or perhaps overwhelmed by the dreaminess of the recent events he had gone through, Kenji remarked wryly, to nobody in particular, that, "I never knew the sun and moon could share the same sky."

It was Misao who laughed, and delivered the words he desperately needed to hear. "Obviously," she said, "you live in your own little world, where the sun doesn't shine and the moon doesn't wax." She gave him a strong pat on the back. "Time to get out of the well, little frog! Some things in life aren't merely black or white!"

Kenji remained silent for a while. A few weeks ago, he would have blown up at Misao - nevermind she was his senior.

Then again, a few weeks back, he was still an insecure, pompous and selfish boy who thought the world was out to get him.

Now, however, the only thing he could feel inside of him was a buzzing sense of understanding. It was pleasant. Therefore, "You know," he smiled, "I have a feeling you just may be right after all."

"Of course!" Misao chirped along. "When am I ever wrong?"

Kenji grinned, taking no offense. He opened his wide, violet eyes, took a deep breath, and looked far out at the land beneath his feet. A land he was in but was never close to. A land that was so near, yet so far.

"Hey," he finally said, his back facing his two seniors, his arms akimbo, and his silouette imprinted against the last glow of the setting sun. He pointed into the horizon.

"Which way is Tokyo...?"

—————————————————————

"Kaoru!" A tall, well-tanned, youth rushed into the kitchen, stopping short just before the only person in the room at the moment, who was slicing up some onions. The youth paused. "Kaoru, there's...! Oh, my goodness! What poison are you going to feed us with this time!"

"Shut up, Yahiko!" The cook, Kaoru, sobbed, as she accidentally smashed the onion that was in her fist. "You're always eating and never helping out in the kitchen. You have no right to be yelling at me like that! What do you think we're running, some high-class, posh ala-carte tavern!" She pointed her large chopper at the properly terrified Yahiko. "Get out of here and go be useful somewhere else!"

"Don't be so touchy!" Yahiko snapped back, once he had recovered enough to realise that he could outrun the blade if Kaoru was mad enough to fling it at him. "There's a letter!" He withdrew said letter from within his sleeves and waved it about. "From Misao in Kyoto!

"...Kenji is with them!"

Kaoru paused in the midst of aiming the chopper at Yahiko. "Kenji?" She half whispered in disbelief. Wordlessly, she took the letter Yahiko held out to her.

"Oh, and one more thing..." Yahiko's voice became calmer and more serious. Kaoru looked at him questioningly. The young man took a deep breath.

"Seta Soujirou at the main hall." He announced. "He says he needs to speak with you as soon as possible. Before Kenji comes back."

There was a numb silence.

Broken only when Kaoru replaced the knife on the counter and undid the cloth that held her hair up.

"I see," she let the piece of cloth join the chopper on the counter. Turning around, she clutched the letter firmly against herself and walked towards the exit. "It's about time that silly Kenji came back home. And Soujirou'd better not be asking me for /another/ bamboo sword, or I'll really get the students to wallop him good this time!"

Yahiko shrugged, and helped Kaoru close the kitchen door as she walked out. "Never had a doubt if Kenji'd be coming back, did you?" He asked, as they both sauntered down the wooden corridors of the dojo, towards the main hall.

Kaoru shook her head. "Of course not!" She beamed, amidst tear streaks - though it was now no longer clear if they were onion-induced or not. "Himura Kenji is my son. And like his father," she looked up at the skies.

"...he knows where he truly belongs."****

—————————————————————  
The End  
1/4/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd 


	60. Epilogue

**DISCLAIMER: All copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners. No money is being made out of this fanwork. Please do not distribute without permission.**

WARNING: Spoilers! If you don't know who Kenji is, please read at your own risk!

WITH DUE CREDIT: This fic was loosely spun off from two fics - "Over the Sting" by sasori and "Chronicles of a Rurouni", one of my earlier fics.

—————————————————————  
Yesterday's Shadow is Tomorrow's Twilight  
—————————————————————  
Epilogue

The world continued to spin on its axle, unaffected by the events that had happened beneath it - people continued about their daily lives. Few were aware of the great forces lurking behind them, supporting their fragile ideals of peace. Fewer still cared to know at all. As long as their routines remained untouched, it hardly mattered what other people did to try to strive towards a more comfortable future - whether for self; whether for society.

Such was life.

Such was life in the dreamy outskirts of the rapidly developing Tokyo.

A group of children played, carefree and happy, in the clearing. They forged swords and spears out of sticks and branches, and proceeded to whack each other silly with pseudo war-cries and mimicry. Having seen and gone through no bloodshed, fights were but tools of boredom relief to the new generation - a game where victors became heroes; where losers ran home to their mothers weeping about how unfair the fight had gone. As the children continued screaming and shouting at each other, their sanctuary was intruded upon - for a stranger had invaded their presence. At once, all noise ceased. The children dropped their game tools, scurrying away from the stranger quickly, fleeing to their caretaker. The man was leaning against the handrails of an old, abandoned bridge, looking at the decay and foul-smelling waters running beneath.

This caretaker welcomed the children, having sensed their presence and, of course, the presence of the intruder as well. After soothing the frantic group - was this place not sacred and ours alone to call? - the caretaker sent the easily distracted children on their way by issuing them an errand. A mission, in the caretaker's words, to run along and stay very still while the caretaker spoke with the stranger. If the stranger was to do any harm, the children were to emerge and yell at him immediately - did they understand?

Of course, the excited children did. They dispersed as quickly as a breeze had swept through the fallen autumn leaves.

Tilting his head slightly, the caretaker met the stranger's eye.

"Good morning, Shinomori-san," Soujirou smiled warmly at the approaching Aoshi. He did not move from his position on the bridge, leaning against the railing.

After a while of silence, Aoshi said, "She said I could find you here."

"Kaoru-san?" Soujirou prompted, and the taller person nodded. "Figures," he snickered to himself. "I came to talk to her about something. And she somehow tricked me into initiating her latest batch of students into kendo. A few of whom got a little too attached to me." He laughed, as if remembering something. "So I've been playing with them out here since." He looked knowingly at Aoshi. "Can't have the local police finding a fugitive camping out in a dojo, teaching the future generation of Japan now, can we?"

Aoshi remained stoic. It was hard to tell whether he was really paying attention or not. "You're not obligated to stay for the children, or for anybody," he eventually stated, monotonously.

"True," Soujirou agreed, returning to looking at the decaying river beneath the bridge. "That must mean that I'm still here for something else, of course."

There was an expectant silence.

"Oibore-san is dying," the wanderer whispered, softly, and let the winds carry his words to Aoshi. "I found that out when I came to pass him Yukishiro-san's sword." He smiled, slightly. "I have to finish what Yukishiro-san started. I won't go until then." He then lifted up the long bundle of cloth that had been leaning against the railing alongside him. "Not that Oibore-san cared, of course. He told me to keep the sword." The wanderer laughed. "He thinks I'll have more use for it than he would. I personally think not." His voice was wistful.

Aoshi moved to unfold his arms from across his chest. "Good to know, in any case," he grunted. "That answers one of the questions I have for you."

Soujirou looked at him curiously. "And what other questions could you possibly have for me?"

Deciding that to be his cue, Aoshi wasted no time. He cut to the chase. "This one's from Saitou," he disclaimed. "Why did you let the two ringleaders go?"

"Oh my," Soujirou turned away from the bridge railing and put a hand on his back sheepishly. He faced Aoshi and grinned. "Did I let them go? Oh dear. I hadn't noticed at all. How careless of me. I must be getting senile."

"Should I bring that answer to Saitou?" Aoshi asked, candidly. Soujirou had by then returned to the railing and looking down at the waterless stream beneath.

"You can if you want to," the wanderer said. "I'm no longer accountable to Saitou-san." He smiled. "And neither are you, as far as I know."

"I never was," Aoshi agreed.

"So why are you running around for him?" Soujirou laughed. "Don't tell me you have some personal interest in that question? You were always so business-like about this particular mission. It's hard to imagine you having any sort of interest in it at all."

"I happen to like closure," Aoshi informed.

"Closure is overrated," Soujirou snorted.

"It keeps me ready for the next great thing."

"Oh, right! Like the great Kyoto sale?"

"..."

"Just kidding," Soujirou laughed, when he saw the look of banal displeasure on his senior's face. "Though if there really is a sale in Kyoto, please be sure to inform me."

"I will be sure to do that," Aoshi deadpanned.

The silence continued a little while, before Soujirou sighed. "I don't think he would have wanted it that way," he finally said, quietly. Looking up at the clear, blue skies, he continued, "They were his friends. No matter how misguided they were, he still cared for them. He would have wanted them to have a second chance..." Soujirou smiled, but his eyes were downcast. "...to start from scratch again... just like he did."

"So you let them go?" Aoshi asked.

"I hid them," Soujirou corrected. "If the police had been diligent enough, they would have found them. I wouldn't have protested if they did. If Ming-san and Zheng-san had been found, then they deserve to be arrested," he sighed. "In those circumstances, it was the best I could do. I can outrun the entire police force. But I'm not sure if I can still do that with two people on my back."

The stern ninja took a while to digest all of Soujirou's explanation. "Very well," he said, after the silence, "Saitou will have to make do with the explanation that his men are too amatuer to find a mere wanderer's hidden treasure." Soujirou snickered at Aoshi's way of putting it. "The next question is also from Saitou," Aoshi's sombre voice pulled Soujirou back from his mirth.

"What happened to Yukishiro?"

Soujirou's soft laughter died immediately upon his lips. Yet he continued to smile. His eyes were still crinkled, as if in delight.

"He's gone," Soujirou responded, much quicker than Aoshi had expected him to. He leaned over the railing again and let his hair cover his eyes. "What else is there to know about what happened?"

"Plenty," Aoshi pressed on, folding his arms across his chest and leaning his weight on one foot. "We know it was a fatal shot to the chest - it hit a major vein near his heart. What we don't know is who put the bullet there," Aoshi paused, "...and how is it possible that someone could have won Yukishiro Enishi at his own game."

"There is always a first time for everything," Soujirou looked to a side. "But for him, his first was his last."

"You don't wish to talk about it?"

Soujirou did not answer.

"Very well," Aoshi shrugged. "Saitou also wants to know exactly where you are at the moment."

"I'm at Okinawa!" Soujirou chirped.

"Fine," Aoshi accepted it. "I believe he wishes to reward you for the latest stint, but I could be mistaken."

"Saitou-san is a very crafty man," Soujirou nodded sagely.

"Where will you go after Oibore passes away?" Aoshi's next question was rather awkward, considering the direction the conversation had been going thus far. Soujirou grinned at him.

"Is that a question from Saitou-san too?" He asked, amused when Aoshi's shoulders jumped slightly in surprise.

"That question is mine," the man stated smoothly.

"I'm just a wanderer," Soujirou replied, his voice quiet. "I go wherever the winds take me."

"I expected to hear that," Aoshi's comment caught Soujiruo off-guard. As he turned around to look questioningly at the older man, he saw a shadow flitting towards him at top speed. Quickly reacting, he reached out and stopped the object in mid-air, grasping onto it. He looked at it. It was a kodachi.

"You broke it," Aoshi's voice was slightly scolding, "you have to pay me one back."

"Oh!" Soujirou put a hand on his head, memories of him breaking the blade flooding back to him. "I'm sorry about the blade. It was an emergency. And I /did/ ask Himura-san to apologise on my behalf!"

"He didn't," Aoshi simply informed. Soujirou deflated.

"Umm... I have no money?" Said the younger person, who was trying to decide if Aoshi was joking or not.

"Don't worry," the taller person tilted his head, "we're always short-handed at the Aoiya. Misao wouldn't mind an extra cook."

"I can't cook!" Soujirou protested immediately.

"Then you can sweep and serve," Aoshi pointed out.

"You're serious about this," Soujirou was horrified.

"I am," Aoshi nodded gravely.

"May I start running now?" Soujirou gulped.

"If you want." Aoshi shrugged. He turned, and started walking away. "The Aoiya is open for business every day."

It was a while later before Aoshi heard Soujirou's final words.

"You're really not going to press about Yukishiro-san?"

Aoshi paused, turned, and glanced at the wanderer.

"Like I said," he reiterated, firmly, "the Aoiya is open for business every day." Turning back, he continued walking down the path he had come from, neither seeing nor knowing of Soujirou's agape countenance in response to his sentence. Without another word, he vanished into the shadows in which he had materialised from, leaving behind a confused wanderer, wondering if what he had just heard was real.

A soft breeze blew. Time slowly ebbed.

A small hand tugged at Soujirou's sleeve. Snapping out of his trance, Soujirou glanced downwards quickly, finding himself staring into a few pair of concerned eyes.

"Are you all right, Soujirou?" The little girl asked, her voice brimming with innocent concern. "Did the big man hurt you?"

Soujirou smiled at her. At all of them. "Of course not!" He said happily. "Onii-san is a lot tougher than he looks!"

"Then can we spar you?" One of the taller boys struck a pose and asked him valiantly.

"Of course!" Soujirou laughed. He brandished the kodachi sheath. "Look! The big man gave me a new weapon! This time, I won't lose to you!"

The children erupted into cheers and pomp. In just a while, they vacated the bridge and was giving out war cries to one another in the hidden clearing once again. So absorbed they were with their game, that they did not notice yet another intruder upon their sacred grounds.

"Hey!" The intruder cried out, waving his hand about. "Mind if I joined in?" The voice was young. Fresh and impressionable.

A silence occurred, in which Soujirou and the children looked in the direction of the shout to analyse the newcomer. The children immediately broke into huge grins. Soujirou himself could feel his smile stretching wider.

"I don't see why not," the wanderer said, "Himura-san."  
****

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10/4/05  
tougenkyou . net / xd

a/n  
omigosh! ekmisao wrote another spin off of shadow twilight which i must plug! go go! read it now! this time it's written in soujirou's POV, and it's BEAUTIFUL!

fanfiction . net / s / 2353675 / 1 /

if you love the sou/eni dynamics with a dash of sherlock holmes, then you don't want to miss this fic:D  
  
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things i was unable to properly resolve within the story:

1) kenji's training with hiko  
kenji was supposed to have this huge showdown with yahiko in the epilogue where he demonstrates the sheer prowess of his newly learnt abilities by trashing yahiko and a few bamboo swords up in the process, but the author ran out of steam at the end and apologises for any inconveniences she has caused by her not being able to include the slightly cracked up scene in the unreasonable sombre epilogue.

2) soujirou's hair  
aoshi was supposed to bring it up in the epilogue and there was supposed to be this big sniffy conversation in which soujirou explains that he had been growing his hair out only because it used to pissed enishi off so since enishi is no longer around there would be no point in growing it out anymore and what do you mean i cut it because i was traumatised shinomori-san no no you got it all wrong - but alas, aoshi refused to cooperate, so rotten tomatoes in his way, please.

3) enishi's past with the four baddies  
i thought of doing a side story, but i figured no one would be interested. (not even myself! XDD) fiction baddies - here today and gone tomorrow. ;.;x

4) who is the main lead anyway? kenji? soujirou? enishi?  
it was supposed to be kenji. supposed to be. sou and eni took over somewhere in between tokyo and kyoto. they were unstoppable. i certainly couldn't do it. :O sorry kenji. i'll find a way to make it up to you... in the indefinite future or something. XD

5) and anything else  
please forgive me for missing them out. XDDD it's been a rather long ride, tee hee hee XD

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my thanks:

all readers - for reading this fic on to the end!

all reviewers - for taking two minutes to help me improve on the story!

sasori - without you i would never have thought of teaming up soujirou with enishi in an action/adventure setting. and what a fantastic team they turned out to be.

april-san - without you aoshi would not have become as 3-dimensional and unfathomable as i now know him to be. he certainly thinks in many layers!

firuze - without you i would never have known how to look deep into the mind of a highly misunderstood, yet dearly important character i now lovingly know as yukishiro enishi.

jbramx2 - i loved reading your thoughts about my crazy story. it made me laugh so hard. you're the first person to ever draw fanart for my fics for me. thank you so much!

ekmisao - i still find it hard to believe that a high-profile, capable author like yourself would find time to write a few spin offs based on shadow twilight! please accept my eternal thanks. you have certainly been my inspiration to go on.

i'm sorry i'm unable to list everybody out here. tanuki-dono, eeevee, fyyyrose, shihali, shadrezad, silver nightingale, espi, zeromaru, kenshinadmirer and koukeisha - thank you especially for your memorable presences. thank you all of those i have missed out and i'm terribly terribly sorry i couldn't list you all out! pelt me with tomatoes! i know i deserve it! XD

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in conclusion, i only have one thing to say!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME TO THE VERY END!

that's all. yup:packs soujirou up in an express mail box and ships him off to april-san: i haven't forgotten my promise! although his hair may be too short to braid now. eheheh! it'll get longer... eventually. XD

thank you all! and... bye bye! it's been a great ride:D you can email me about the fic if you want, my mailbox is always open:3 see you next fic!

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want to read more about fanfics based on the setting of wandering warriors?

www . fanfiction . net / c2 / 8417 / 0 / 1 /  
c2 comm - wind fictions of ruroken  
has a small but reasonably comprehensive listing of stories that revolve around aoshi, soujirou, enishi, or either two of them together. there are not many fics that feature this setting, after all. WRITE MORE, DAMMIT! AND SEND THEM TO ME! MUAHHAHAH!

www . fanfiction . net / u / 249480 /  
ekmisao's fanfiction. i blanket rec all her rk fics.

www . fanfiction . net / u / 121399 /  
firuze's fanfiction. she has some fantastic enishi fanfiction going on. check them out sometimes.

sasori and april-san's fics can be found in the c2 comm above. also check out some of the soujirou-centric rk fanfics i have in my fav list. i shall end the epilogue before the author's notes spawn into something that rivals the actual story in length. XDD good bye, and good bye, and thank you for everything:3 


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